There was enough discussion in the last IPL about Mumbai Indians’ captaincy. Fair to say, it turned ugly when Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya’s fans were divided after MI replaced Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as captain upon his return to the team. This decision did not sit well with MI supporters, and as a result, we saw MI captain Hardik Pandya getting booed everywhere. The team’s performance also suffered, with MI finishing last.
Fast forward to now, things have changed. Hardik Pandya has made a strong resurgence, gaining faith from MI’s senior players. It now seems that the backing of MI’s big names is bringing him joy. In a recent pre-season press conference, he opened up about this change.
“They are always there when I need help” – Hardik Pandya on MI trio
Speaking about his strong bond with MI superstars Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah, Pandya said.
“I am lucky that I have three captains playing with me – Rohit, Surya and Bumrah. They always place an arm around my shoulder and are there when I need any help.”
Pandya shared how all the mentioned names helped him during his tough times on the field, emphasising that he is never alone in making decisions. With Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah in the squad, MI possesses a leadership core that stands among the best in world cricket.
Why is Hardik Pandya banned for Mumbai Indians’ first match in IPL 2025?
Apart from all this, it is important to know that there will be no Hardik Pandya in MI’s first match due to the slow over-rate offence committed by MI for the third time in their final match of IPL 2024. According to the IPL Governing Council rules, if a team commits this offence for the third consecutive time, the captain of the bowling team will be fined INR 30 lakh and banned for one match. Also, the other 10 players in the team will also be fined INR 12 lakh or 50% of their match fees.
Editor's Pick
Cricket
Will Gambhir try Rishabh Pant or Nitish Reddy in IND vs SA 3rd ODI with series on the line?
Top Stories
