Veteran cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle has said that Hardik Pandya's appointment as the Mumbai Indians captain, taking over from Rohit Sharma, was widely anticipated. This leadership change, announced by the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise ahead of the 2024 season, follows Hardik's notable transfer from Gujarat Titans (GT). Commenting on the move via social media, Bhogle acknowledged that while this is a progressive move by MI but Pandya will encounter significant challenges in meeting the high expectations and ambitions of the team.
"That Hardik Pandya would be captain of @mipaltan was an open secret. Rohit Sharma can lay claim to being, with MS Dhoni, the finest leader in the #IPL. It may not be a bad idea to let him relax and have fun because the IPL can take a lot out of you and he will have led India in 5 tests a little before that. While this is a move keeping in mind the next few years, it will be a huge challenge for Hardik given the number of stars in the side and the ambition of the franchise. It makes #MumbaiIndians the team to watch this year," Bhogle wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
During his impactful two-year stint with GT, Pandya won title in IPL 2022 and finished runners up in the subsequent season. As the newly appointed captain of MI, Pandya now faces the daunting task to take Paltans to new heights after Rohit steered the franchise to five IPL trophies. In his tenure with GT from 2022-2023, Pandya notched up 833 runs across 31 matches, boasting an average of 37.86 and a strike rate of over 133, including six fifties and a top score of 87*. Additionally, he contributed 11 wickets, with best bowling figures of 3/17.
Pandya's record with MI from 2015-2021 is also impressive. In 92 matches, he scored 1,476 runs at an average of 27.33 and a strike rate of over 153, highlighted by four half-centuries and a best score of 91. His bowling credentials include 42 wickets, with a best performance of 3/20.
With his return to MI, Pandya aims to build on his illustrious IPL journey, which includes five championship wins – four with MI (2015, 2017, 2019, 2020) and one with GT (2022).
In his IPL career so far, Hardik has participated in 123 matches, amassing 2309 runs at an average of 30.38. He has smashed 10 half centuries with 91 runs being his top performance.
Meanwhile, IPL 2024 auction is slated to take place on December 19, Tuesday at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.
Mumbai Indians' retained players' list:
Akash Madhwal, Arjun Tendulkar, Cameron Green, Dewald Brevis, Ishan Kishan, Jason Behrendorff, Jasprit Bumrah, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, N. Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera, Piyush Chawla, Rohit Sharma, Romario Shepherd (T), Shams Mulani, Surya Kumar Yadav, Tim David, Vishnu Vinod.
Mumbai Indians' available slots- 8, overseas slots- 4
Mumbai Indians' remaining purse: ₹15.25 crore
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