Hardik Pandya is facing a lot of flak these days. From getting booed by fans at the stadium to social media outrage to sharp criticism from critics, the new Mumbai Indians skipper has been weathering it all.
The all-rounder says he isn’t disturbed by the negativity. But how far does that hold true? And will that affect his performance? Is the booing even justified? These are just some of the many questions that can be raised around this saga.
Hardik Pandya – the captain
Pandya has borne the brunt of the fans since the end of 2023 when he was traded to MI from GT and replaced Rohit Sharma as the former’s skipper. It is pertinent to note that Hardik’s credentials – both as a player and skipper – are exemplary.
HP was named India’s T20I captain, taking over from Rohit Sharma only to be injured during the ODI World Cup and exiting the scheme of things. Prior to this, Pandya led GT to their maiden title win in their very first year of the tournament in 2022. In the following year, the side finished as the runner-ups as they lost to CSK in IPL 2023 final.
| Matches | Won | Lost | No Result | Win % |
| 32 | 22 | 10 | 0 | 68.97% |
To write off Pandya – who has such a tremendous record as skipper – is not something wise to do. And not to forget, HP is the front-runner to take over the reigns from Rohit Sharma after T20 World Cup 2024. While he may vary in his style of captaincy from that of Rohit Sharma, it doesn’t mean he isn’t capable of leading a side or franchise.
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Critics had directed flak at Pandya over replacing Rohit Sharma as skipper, with many taking shots at the all-rounder. And all this, which began after MI completed his trade from GT, continues unabated. Adding fuel to the fire is the entire Narendra Modi stadium showing utter disrespect to HP by booing him and hurling abuses.
To win over fans is one thing but what is more important for Pandya is to win the confidence of the men he leads. Like L Balaji said, it will take time for Hardik to win the dressing room – both as captain and as a human. For the fans, one shouldn’t forget that Hardik Pandya’s rise to fame happened from the very same team he has returned to and under the captaincy of the same star whom he has replaced.
Why is Hardik Pandya important for India’s T20 WC journey?
Hardik Pandya’s credentials as an all-rounder is incredible, with his past performances telling us all why he is instrumental for the Indian side. Alongside Jadeja, Pandya is arguably one of the best all-rounder that India have.
While India have other all-rounders in fray in the name of Shivam Dube, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar and others, none can match the caliber of Pandya and deliver with bat and ball when needed like the latter can.
With that being said, writing off Pandya for good makes no sense either. Neither does directing flak at someone who has just made a comeback after suffering an injury which costed him nearly four months, only because he tried to push himself to recover faster. Past records should serve as a warning to all critics and trolls as they indicate Pandya’s prowess in the shortest format and what an asset he really is.
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