While Hardik Pandya‘s leadership has attracted scrutiny due to a few questionable choices, South African fast bowler Gerald Coetzee, who debuted for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, commended Pandya as an “exceptional” captain.
Pandya’s inaugural stint as captain for the Mumbai Indians, taking over from the accomplished Rohit Sharma, proved to be a testing period as the five-time champion team missed out on the playoffs.
Mumbai Indians supporters were discontented with the team’s choice to name Pandya as captain, especially considering his prior leadership of a youthful Gujarat Titans squad, which reached consecutive IPL finals and secured victory in the inaugural edition. Consequently, he encountered jeers at each match.
“I think he’s been a really good captain. Every captain has a unique style and no captain is the same. He’s (Hardik) been really good, he’s been really motivational to the guys, he’s been really clear with the plans, I think he’s an exceptional captain,” Coetzee said.
“I think the mood in the dressing room has been really good. We’ve done our best every game, we’ve prepared well. We’ve made some mistakes and sometimes we’ve been outplayed.”
“It’s still really good. And we’ve got strong leaders, we’ve got really good players. I think there’s not much to look into that. I think it’s been in a good mood consistently, right throughout,” he added.
The Mumbai Indians were the initial team to be ousted from playoff contention this season
The Mumbai Indians, five-time champions, have been knocked out of contention for the Indian Premier League 2024 playoffs following Sunrisers Hyderabad’s victory over the Lucknow Super Giants on Wednesday.
Mumbai’s inconsistent performance required them to depend on the outcomes of other matches to sustain their playoff aspirations. However, their hopes were dashed as Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated them along with Lucknow Super Giants in Hyderabad.
Pandya’s Mumbai Indians have managed only four victories out of 12 matches this season due to their inability to produce a cohesive team effort on the field. Apart from Jasprit Bumrah, key players such as Rohit Sharma struggled to maintain consistency, contributing to the team’s decline.
From the onset of the season, Mumbai appeared unsettled, with reports suggesting that the change in captaincy caused tension within the group. Mumbai’s final IPL match is against the Lucknow Super Giants at home on May 17.
It remains to be seen whether the team management will opt to rest players bound for the T20 World Cup in the remaining matches.
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