Hardik Pandya, the former captain of the Gujarat Titans, is poised to take on a new leadership role as he leads the Mumbai Indians in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Pandya, who kickstarted his IPL journey with Mumbai in 2015, assumed the captaincy for the Titans two years ago.
Under Pandya’s guidance, the Gujarat-based franchise clinched the IPL trophy in their debut season in 2022, marking a stellar start to Pandya’s captaincy tenure. After two seasons with the Titans, Pandya is now set to reunite with his former team as IPL 2024 commences on March 22nd.
Despite Rohit Sharma’s longstanding captaincy of the Mumbai Indians since the 2013 season, reports surfaced suggesting Pandya’s return to MI was contingent upon assuming the leadership mantle from Sharma. While this decision raised eyebrows, Pandya has addressed concerns about potential friction between the two leaders.
Pandya captaining Rohit will be weird thing this IPL. What the new MI skipper has to say?
“We haven’t seen each other for the last couple of months. We are all professionals, and by the time, the team comes together and once he comes in, we will definitely have a chat,” Pandya stated, emphasizing the professionalism between the two.
Acknowledging Rohit Sharma’s pivotal role in his cricketing journey, Pandya expressed confidence in Sharma’s support throughout the season. “He is the captain of the Indian team, which helps me because what this team has achieved, it has achieved under him,” Pandya affirmed. “From now onwards, it will be about carrying forward what he has achieved, so there will be nothing awkward.”
Pandya has played under Rohit not only in franchise cricket but also in the national team. In the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in June, the all-rounder will be the hitman’s vice-captain. He stated that, “I have played for 10 years under him and I know he is going to have his hand on my shoulders throughout the season.”
In response to the backlash surrounding his captaincy appointment, Pandya remained composed, stating, “I don’t focus on things that I can’t control,” while expressing gratitude to fans for their support and excitement for the upcoming season. With Pandya at the helm, Mumbai Indians fans eagerly anticipate another thrilling IPL campaign under his leadership.
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