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The recent announcement by Mumbai Indians designating Hardik Pandya as their captain for the upcoming Indian Premier League season has sparked a significant reaction among fans. This decision followed an unprecedented all-cash trade that brought Pandya back from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians. The move, however, hasn't been received favorably by a section of the fanbase, resulting in a noticeable drop of 400,000 followers on the team's Twitter account within just an hour of the announcement.
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The reaction caught the attention of global cricket figures, including former South African cricketer AB de Villiers, who expressed his surprise at the fans' response. De Villiers emphasised the importance of welcoming Pandya back to the franchise, given his outstanding track record with Gujarat Titans. Pandya's performance was particularly notable in the 2022 IPL season, where he played a pivotal role in leading the Titans to victory against Rajasthan Royals in the final, earning the player of the match accolade.
"To be fair to Hardik, he was also a Mumbai boy by for a long time. He was always Mumbai boy from the start of his IPL career. He was with him when they lifted some trophies. I get your point that Surya and Bumrah sort of stayed loyal to the brand when Hardik decided to move on, if you wanna say that. But he's back," AB de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
"And I think I find it quite strange that the reaction was pretty negative. I have been reading posts that said Mumbai Indians social platform lost like 1 million followers and people are upset," he further added.
Furthermore, under his captaincy in 2023, the Titans made an impressive run to the final, only to be narrowly defeated by MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings in a nail-biting finish.
De Villiers advocated for a supportive approach from the fans towards Hardik Pandya, urging them to rally behind him rather than critiquing the decision. He suggested that the fans' encouragement could play a crucial role in boosting Pandya's confidence and performance in the upcoming season.
"You should be happy about him coming back. I know he played two IPL seasons at the Gujarat Titans and won a trophy. They made the final in another. And now he wants to come back as a more experienced player, a more experienced captain. So I think you guys (fans) give him a bit of a boost, welcome him back in the Mumbai Indians camp. I'm pretty sure if he lifts a trophy with the rest of the team, you guys are not gonna have a problem with that," concluded de Villiers.
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