Ahead of their final league stage match in IPL 2024, Mumbai Indians' captain Hardik Pandya opened up on his captaincy style. He described his approach as working alongside his ten teammates, fostering a collaborative environment. This season marked a shift for Pandya, who joined MI via trade from the Gujarat Titans (GT) after leading them to title glory in their debut IPL season (2022) and a runner-up finish in 2023. However, he couldn't replicate the same glory while leading MI in IPL 2024. Taking over the MI captaincy reins from Rohit Sharma wasn't easy for Pandya, who faced fare share of criticism from some fans. On top of it, Mumbai have had a torrid campaign in IPL 2024 too thus became the very second team to be eliminated from the tournament, currently sitting at the bottom of the points table with only four wins in 13 matches.
Despite the challenges, Pandya, in a ‘Captains Speak’ segment shared by Star Sports, emphasised the importance of building confidence and belief within his team.
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"I think my captaincy is simple. It's just Hardik Pandya playing with 10 other of his teammates. The mantra is simple. Looking after the players, you give them the confidence, you give them the belief, you give them the love. They will go out and give more than 100 percent and that's something I ask for," said Hardik.
Hardik Pandya's IPL 2024 hasn't been his strongest showing. Batting-wise, the right-hander has only managed 200 runs in 12 innings, averaging 18.18. His bowling hasn't fared much better, with 11 wickets taken but a high economy rate of 10.58. However, despite the not so impressive statistics, Pandya remains focused on process over outcome. He recently stated that his priority is ensuring the team uses the right approach, believing this will ultimately lead to positive results.
"I am not someone who is result-oriented, but I am definitely approach-oriented. (I see) what kind of approach they (players) are showing, and if I feel that is suiting the team, I think somewhere down the line it helps the team...," Pandya added.
Mumbai Indians aim to salvage pride in season finale
Mumbai Indians will look to salvage some pride when they take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their final match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. The May 17th home clash at Wankhede Stadium marks the end of a disappointing campaign for the five-time champions. Mumbai's dominance seems like a distant memory. Their last IPL title win came in 2020 under the leadership of Rohit Sharma. Since then, the team's performance has steadily declined, culminating in a last-place finish in the 2022 season. This year appears to be another forgettable chapter, with their elimination from playoff contention confirmed weeks ago.
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