Hardik Pandya’s IPL 2026 Form Leaves MI Near Playoff Cut

Mumbai Indians have fallen to a 7‑loss streak in the IPL 2026, with captain Hardik Pandya struggling for form. Pandya has 146 runs in eight innings, a best of 40, and a strike rate of 136.44. With the ball he has taken only four wickets in seven overs, costing 12.26 runs per over.

Brann vann 3–1 over Fredrikstad i Eliteserien laurdag.
Heimelaget som vann 5–0 over serieleiar Tromsø førre veke, starta også best i Bergen.
Islandske Kristall Ingason fekk ballen etter 6 minutt og sette han i mål.
Same mann var nest sist på ballen då Joachim Soltvedt kunne sette inn 2–0 etter 69 minutt spelt.
Fem minutt på overtid fekk også heimelaget straffe etter at Fanuel Ghebreyohannes fekk ein ball i handa. På straffesparket skåra Bård Finne.
Eitt minutt etter fekk Fredrikstad eit trøystemål då Ulrik Fredriksen sette ballen i mål for gjestane.
Kampen mot Fredrikstad er den siste kampen før Brann skal spele cupfinale mot Bodø/Glimt neste laurdag forumteam.blog

Harry Maguire has been an omnipresent figure in Manchester United’s starting XI since Michael Carrick took charge as caretaker manager in January this year. The Red Devils turned to their former midfielder to salvage the season following a disappointing 14-month spell under Ruben Amorim.

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However, Carrick has already exceeded expectations, taking the team on a run of nine wins in his 13 games in charge. The English giants have subsequently climbed to third in the Premier League table and are very close to earning qualification for next season’s Champions League.

Maguire has started 11 games under Carrick, was suspended for the other two, and has been a rock at the back for United of late. The 33 year old, who signed a new deal at Old Trafford last month, has now provided an insight into the team’s golden run under the English manager.

Harry Maguire Stats: 2025/26 Season

Source: Transfermarkt.

Excellent communication

Maguire recently sat down with the Times of India to discuss a host of topics, including the team’s upturn in form. When asked what had changed under Carrick, the English defender said: “The results have improved under Michael. Since he came in, he has been excellent with players, communicates really well with all his staff around him. Credit goes to them, and also to the players for adapting and performing so well in the last few months.”

“We have put ourselves in a strong position to qualify for the Champions League, something that everyone related to United wants. We know that this club needs to be challenging for the titles, but we also know that we need to be in the Champions League.”

Maguire went on to acknowledge that last season was a tough experience for the squad, adding: “It was a tough one, no doubt. Everyone was disappointed.”

“We used it as a real reset…There were a few big changes in the squad, players leaving, new faces coming in that brought fresh energy. Not many would have backed us to be where we are now at the start of the season, but we believed. Now it’s about finishing strong and we have to improve again next season.”

Secret to turnaround under Carrick

United had a mixed start to the campaign under Amorim, but Maguire insists that Carrick helped turn things around by making the team better in both boxes. He said: “It was a difficult start but I felt we were playing better than the results showed. There were games we should have won, but we could not. In the last few months, we have been a lot better in both boxes.”

“We have defended our box a lot better, a lot more consistent. And the boys going forward, when we have had chances, have been real clinical. It’s something the manager and staff have really worked on with us.”

United face Liverpool next in the Premier League on Sunday, 3 March, at Old Trafford. The Red Devils secured a 2-1 win over their bitter rivals earlier this season, when Maguire’s late header secured all three points.

When asked how it felt helping United pick up a victory at Anfield in almost a decade, the Englishman said: “It was an unbelievable feeling for the fans, for me and for my family.”

“To score a winner in a game like that was really special. Liverpool have had the better of us in recent years, so it’s something we’re determined to change and make sure we’re in the driving seat of that rivalry again.”

Final Thoughts

A win against Liverpool could all but confirm United’s participation in next season’s Champions League. It could also strengthen Carrick’s position for the full-time job at the Theatre of Dreams, with INEOS expected to make a decision on the matter this summer.

Featured image Alex Livesey via Getty Images

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⚽ Updates from the 5.30pm BST kick-off at the Emirates
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“My thanks to Richard Hirst, but if we’re talking races to the grave, I’m probably a way ahead of him,” writes Charles Antaki. “So should the Arsenal men’s team fail at this Premier League hurdle, the next may be beyond my span. Today, the universe has a chance to right the wrongs of the women’s unsatisfactory performance at Lyon; but given that the universe seems to show absolutely no interest in righting wrongs of any description, and there are a few around at the moment, I’m not particularly hopeful. But, as ever, we shall see.”

Mikel Arteta’s pre-match thoughts

Some of the changes are forced. There are other reasons as well – we need a lot of energy, freshness and quality as well.

[On Myles Lewis-Skelly playing in midfield] He’s been very patient, extremely understanding about the situation and he deserves another chance. Every time he’s played, he’s done really well.

For the Pittsburgh Steelers, success is measured in championships. If you are a longtime Steelers fan, you understand where this came from. But the last time the Steelers won a Super Bowl was in 2009, a lifetime in NFL years. The Steelers haven't won a playoff game since 2016 and even former head coach Mike Tomlin admitted the pressure to win without the payoff played into his decision to step away and give the team a fresh start.

Despite all this, public perception and many fans still consider the Steelers an elite franchise. An idea sports personality Colin Cowherd quickly dismissed on his show. Cowherd trashed the Steelers, saying that they are closer to the New York Jets than they are an elite franchise. He also correctly noted that good teams would not tolerate the disrespect they are getting from quarterback Aaron Rodgers as he decides if he wants to play for the Steelers in 2026.

"The Steelers view themselves as an elite franchise. The Steelers are much closer to the Jets! The idea that the good teams in the league would just allow a 41-year old QB to string them along is laughable!"@colincowherd argues the Steelers are proving they're no longer elite pic.twitter.com/bq0CVAJPs8

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) April 30, 2026

The hiring of Mike McCarthy to replace Tomlin means the Steelers are expecting this team to be better this season, regardless of who the quarterback is. Despite multiple playoff appearances over the years, until the Steelers can make a legitimate playoff run, this sort of thinking isn't going to go away.

This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Colin Cowherd slams Steelers for lack of success