WILL HARDIK PANDYA BE SUCCESSFUL AS MUMBAI INDIANS CAPTAIN?

Even since the decision to appoint Pandya as Mumbai Indians captain has been announced, there have been hushed rumors about the move not being well received in the MI camp. The fans have of course expressed their dejection over...

- RENIN WILBEN

In a massive decision, Mumbai Indians (MI), the joint-most successful franchise in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), have replaced Rohit Sharma as captain with all-rounder Hardik Pandya for the 2024 season. Releasing an official statement on the matter, the side’s global head of performance Mahela Jayawardene said, “It is part of legacy building and staying true to the MI philosophy of being future-ready. It is in keeping with this philosophy that Hardik Pandya will assume captaincy of Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2024 season.” When Pandya was traded to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans (GT) after the retention list was announced, it was believed that the move was a good future decision, keeping the captaincy in mind. Not many expected the all-rounder to be named as captain of the Mumbai franchise right away. After all, Rohit is still only 36 and could have led the team for the next couple of years. There have been few better captains in the IPL than the Hitman, who has led the Mumbai Indians franchise to five title triumphs. Of course, under Pandya, Gujarat Titans won the IPL in their inaugural season in 2022 and finished runners-up in the 2023 season. Still, there are quite a few questions mark that have risen following the almost sudden move to appoint the Baroda all-rounder as Mumbai Indians captain for the upcoming IPL season.

WILL NEW CAPTAIN HARDIK PANDYA HAVE FULL BACKING OF THE MUMBAI INDIANS TEAM?