Team India’s vice-captain, Hardik Pandya, is taking time to rejuvenate off the field following a busy few months with IPL 2024. This season, he debuted as captain for the Mumbai Indians (MI) after leading the Gujarat Titans in 2022 and 2023. Under his leadership, the Titans won the IPL trophy in 2022 and finished as runners-up the following year.
MI executed a surprising all-cash trade with GT to bring Hardik Pandya back to their team. They then appointed him as captain, replacing Rohit Sharma, which sparked significant backlash from fans.
Throughout the season, fans expressed their discontent by consistently booing Hardik Pandya during MI’s matches. The backlash impacted Hardik’s performance, as he struggled with the bat, managing only 216 runs across 14 games at an average of 18. In bowling, he took 11 wickets but had an economy rate of 10.75.
The Mumbai Indians squad failed to perform collectively and had a disappointing season, finishing at the bottom of the points table, adding to the challenges for captain Hardik Pandya.
Following a challenging two months in the league, Pandya is currently taking a break to rejuvenate himself before resuming action next month at the T20 World Cup. Pandya provided a peek into his personal time by sharing a few videos and a picture on Instagram, along with a caption:
“Recharging.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7T1IxvRU90/?igsh=bGV3NnpwaDdwdzZi
“One good performance can completely turn things around for him”- Gautam Gambhir comments on Hardik Pandya
Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir recently voiced his support for Hardik Pandya, who has been facing criticism. Gambhir is confident that Pandya has the ability and mental resilience to overcome this challenging phase and deliver strong performances.
Sharing his thoughts on Sportskeeda’s SK Match ki Baat, Gambhir stated:
“There is no player in the world whose performances have been at the same level every time. If there was a player like that, he would be averaging 100, and not 40 or 50.”
”If you’re averaging 40, it means that if you’ve gotten 10 opportunities, you’ve failed in six. Hardik Pandya has the capability and mental strength.”
Gambhir continued:
“One good performance can completely turn things around for him, which is very important for Indian cricket as well because he is a very important member of the Indian cricket team.”
”He’s got that X-factor, be it batting, bowling, or fielding. You cannot predict his performances at the World Cup based on what has happened in the IPL.”
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