Hardik Pandya has had a forgettable IPL 2024 season as captain. He left Gujarat Titans and joined the Mumbai Indians in the trade window. The all-rounder had a great outing as the skipper of the Ahmedabad-based franchise in 2022 and 2023, where the Titans played the final.
However, in 2024, MI have struggled to perform under Hardik’s leadership. Some would say that MI’s squad is much stronger than what Hardik got to lead at GT, but still Mumbai find themselves on the verge of an early elimination. Here’s a look at the four reasons why Hardik Pandya has failed to replicate his success at Mumbai Indians.
1. Outside noise seems to have affected Hardik Pandya
It looks like the outside noise, boos and trolling has affected Pandya a lot. Robin Uthappa mentioned that Pandya’s mental health would have been affected, and that could be a big reason for the failure.
2. Hardik Pandya formed his own squad at Gujarat Titans
Gujarat Titans joined IPL in 2022. From the first day, they knew Hardik was the captain. He would have played a big role in forming the squad at the mega auction, something which the Mumbai Indians could not do because of the mega auction.
3. Different role for the skipper
At GT, Hardik would bat at number four, play the anchor’s role and even open the bowling because he was probably the best man to do it. MI has options, which is why there is no clarity over Hardik’s role.
4. Equation with coach
Ashish Nehra had a great relationship with Pandya. That was visible in Gujarat Titans’ success. However, the same coordination can’t be seen between Hardik and Boucher. Perhaps, that could have affected the performance of the team.
