On Friday, December 15th, Hardik Pandya was named the captain of the Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2024 season, taking over from the former captain Rohit Sharma. Pandya, who spent six years with the Mumbai Indians from 2015 to 2021, was traded to the Gujarat Titans in the mega auction of 2022 as an all-rounder. In his very first season as captain in 2022, he led the Gujarat Titans to victory in the IPL. He led the Titans to their second-straight finals in IPL 2023, where they ultimately lost to the Chennai Super Kings.
Unfortunately, Pandya suffered a left ankle injury during a game against Bangladesh in Pune, ruling him out of the World Cup 2023 series. This setback was disappointing for both him and his fans. Despite the setback, cricket enthusiasts expressed their wishes for his speedy recovery. Pandya made a strong comeback by being appointed the captain of the Mumbai Indians for the 2024 IPL season.
Expected to fill in the big shoes of Rohit Sharma, whose captaincy led the Mumbai Indians to win five IPL titles, securing unprecedented success and solidifying his status as one of the excellent captains in Indian cricket history, especially in the IPL, Hardik Pandya is now poised to step into that illustrious role.
Pandya has participated in 92 matches, amassing a total of 1,476 runs at an average strike rate of 27.33, including four half-centuries. Additionally, he contributed to the team's bowling efforts, securing 42 wickets and showcasing his best bowling figures of 3/20. Nevertheless, the question remains unanswered as to whether he will be part of the squad in the three T20Is against Afghanistan, serving as India's final T20I assignment before the IPL and T20 World Cup in June.
In response to this significant development, Mahela Jayawardene, the global head of performance for the Mumbai Indians, extended a warm welcome to Hardik Pandya as the new captain of MI, offering his best wishes for a successful tenure. Furthermore, Jayawardene expressed gratitude to Rohit Sharma for his exceptional guidance throughout his tenure, making him the longest-serving, beloved, and the most successful captain in the team's history.
