The Mumbai Indians (MI), led by Hardik Pandya, are set to face the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 30 in Lucknow. MI has lost six out of their nine matches this season in the Indian Premier League (IPL). With the T20 World Cup 2024 approaching, scheduled to start on June 1 in the USA and the West Indies, questions are being raised about Hardik’s place in the squad.
Amidst these discussions, former Indian pacer Varun Aaron endorsed Hardik Pandya for the T20 World Cup squad when asked to choose between Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya. Varun Aaron humorously commented on Hardik's return to the MI franchise after winning a trophy with the Gujarat Titans (GT) in 2022 and subsequently taking over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma.
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“Hardik for sure. Hardik is a proven match-winner. I know he is not at his best at the moment. There is so much noise around the Mumbai Indians camp. He is taking on a lot of pressure. No matter what happens, he must be thinking, man… I was winning trophies in GT (Gujarat Titans). I was the captain. We came runners-up. Why the hell did I come here! (laughs). Because it’s a lot of pressure. And I would say it’s needless pressure because you were doing well, you were setting up your legacy at the Gujarat Titans," Varun Aaron said on Star Sports.
Hardik Pandya's connection with MI
Varun Aaron also highlighted Hardik’s deep connection with the MI team, noting that Hardik began his IPL career with this franchise, which eventually led to his representation of the Indian national team. Last year, Hardik Pandya was traded back to MI from GT in an all-cash deal, after which he replaced Rohit Sharma as the team's captain.
"But then he has come to Mumbai Indians and I understand why because he loves Mumbai. He loves Mumbai Indians. They gave him the initial platform and he has gone on to conquer a lot in world cricket through that. But you gotta see he had a really good run at the Titans. So, I think once you remove him from that pressure kind of spot, he will shine," Aaron added.
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