Hardik Pandya would be roaring to make a mark after finally returning to competitive cricket after the ankle injury which he sustained during ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Hardik Pandya looks a bit calm & composed ever since he won IPL 2022 for his former franchise Gujarat Titans (GT) which was a kind of turning point in his career.
There is uncertainty regarding the availability of Suryakumar Yadav who is still recovering from the injury due to which he was ruled out of the Afghanistan T20I series. Suryakumar Yadav is someone who can change the course of the match very quickly with his funky shots and play a fierce knock which is invaluable.
Hardik Pandya is someone who thrives on challenges- Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh was having an interaction with Star Sports. Harbhajan Singh pointed out that Hardik Pandya earlier had success with his former franchise Gujarat Titans (GT) as Hardik led them to the maiden title in 2022 edition and then to the finals in 2023. Harbhajan Singh stated that Hardik Pandya has got all the qualities of a leader.
“He (Hardik) is someone who thrives on challenges; he has done well for GT, winning the title in the first year and runners-up the next. This goes to show that he is a leader. He is now very quiet, operates well. So I feel he has got all the qualities of a leader,” said Harbhajan Singh.
Hardik Pandya an Asset
Hardik Pandya will be keen to stamp his authority and make a statement that he is not a finished product. There was a massive buzz around the social media where MI fans were not ready to accept Hardik as the skipper. The flamboyant all-rounder will have to be calm in tricky situations then only MI will have a fruitful season.
Head coach Mark Boucher along with MI’s coaching staff will have to make sure that Hardik Pandya co-operates with them. MI haven’t been able to dictate the terms ever since winning back to back titles in 2019 & 2020. All eyes though will be on the former skipper Rohit Sharma who would be pumped up to make a strong case for himself and amass tons of runs in the upcoming edition