Hardik Pandya is having a disappointing season in IPL 2024 so far with both bat and ball. His leadership has been under the scanner as well.
Mumbai Indians’ campaign in IPL 2024 ended with Lucknow Super Giants’ thrashing defeat at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium. Mumbai had a disappointing season altogether as the team never looked at its best.
The five-time IPL champions struggled in both batting and bowling and failed to put up a collective performance. Team’s new captain Hardik Pandya, who was signed before the IPL 2024 auction, failed to live up to the expectations. Hardik is having a disappointing season with both bat and ball. He has scored just 198 runs and taken just 11 wickets in 12 matches so far. Adding to this, his captaincy has been under the scanner as well.
According to The Indian Express, reports have emerged that some senior Mumbai Indians players have raised questions about the functioning of the team under Pandya. The key players have conveyed to the support staff that there has been a lack of buzz in the dressing room under Hardik’s leadership.
According to the reports, MI’s players and coaching staff had a meeting over a meal after a game in which they put out their opinions on why the team is not doing well this season. Seasoned players like Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav were among the players involved in the meeting.
Additionally, it has been learned that certain senior players have had individual one-on-one interactions with team management representatives following these events.
This development follows Hardik’s post-match comments after the loss to Delhi Capitals, where he reportedly criticized the team’s top run-scorer Tilak Varma for lacking ‘match awareness’.”
“When Axar Patel (DC left-arm spinner) was bowling to a left-hander (Tilak), the better option could have been to go after him. I think it was just a little game awareness that we missed out on. At the end of the day, that cost us the game,” Hardik had said after the game against Delhi Capitals at Delhi.
The source said that singling out one player for the team’s failure did not sit well in the dressing room.
Not only on the ground, Hardik Pandya is having a tough season off the field as well. He replaced Rohit Sharma as team’s captain before this season’s auction which did not go down well with the fans. As a result, Hardik has been constantly booed wherever he has travelled so far.
Also read: ‘Come home boy’ – RCB fans, others request KL Rahul to leave Lucknow after owner’s public outburst
Hardik Pandya had terrific last two seasons with Gujarat Titans where he led the team to a title win and a runners-up title.
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