Hardik Pandya & Rohit Sharma. Pic Credits: X
Hardik Pandya & Rohit Sharma. Pic Credits: X
IPL 2024 Cricket

IPL 2024: “I Enjoy Hardik Pandya’s Aggressive Style”- AB De Villiers Reflects On MI Skipper’s Performance In The Marquee Tournament

May 11, 2024
Kashvi Haria
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AB de Villiers Highlights Mumbai Indians’ Depth, Hardik Pandya ‘Ego-Driven’ Captaincy Not Essential with Seasoned Players like Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah. Renowned South African batsman AB de Villiers has expressed skepticism regarding Hardik Pandya’s “bravado” and perceived “artificial” intensity during his tenure as Mumbai Indians’ captain.

Hardik Pandya’s inaugural season leading the team witnessed a lack of impact both with bat and ball, with his captaincy also failing to meet expectations. Consequently, Mumbai Indians suffered an early exit from the tournament, becoming the first team to do so. Despite having two remaining league matches, their chances of advancing are slim, with their best hope being to avoid finishing at the bottom of the points table.

MI’s Captaincy Switch: Outrage and Booing as Rohit Sharma Replaced by Hardik

Following three disappointing seasons in 2021, 2022, and 2023, where they secured finishes of fifth, last, and fourth respectively, MI made the bold decision to replace their most successful captain, Rohit Sharma, with Hardik. This move received heavy criticism from their devoted fanbase, with Hardik even facing boos during the initial matches of this year’s IPL.

MI’s lack of victories didn’t aid the situation either. Despite Jasprit Bumrah’s remarkable displays and occasional brilliance from Suryakumar Yadav, MI has managed to secure only four wins out of their 12 games this season. De Villiers suggested that the change in captaincy might have adversely affected their performance.

“MI have been very disappointing. I backed them to qualify for the knockout stages, but that didn’t happen. What has gone wrong? 5th in 2021, 10th in 2022, 4th in 2023 and they are 9th. Rohit Sharma said, ‘I have played under a lot of captains. It’s nothing new. You do what you are required to do and I have been doing that for the last one month.’ You can read a little bit into that if you want to,” he said on his YouTube channel.

AB de Villiers: Hardik Pandya’s Captaincy at MI Hindered by Ego

According to the former South African captain, Hardik’s “ego-driven” leadership thrived at the Gujarat Titans, where an inexperienced squad readily embraced the Indian all-rounder’s direction. However, at MI, seasoned players like Rohit, Bumrah, and Surya have encountered challenges in adapting to this approach.

“The captaincy style of Hardik Pandya is quite bravado. It’s ego-driven in a way, chest out. I don’t think how he walks on the field is always genuine, but he has decided that is his way of captaincy. Almost like MS. Cool, calm, collective, always got your chest out. But when you play with a lot of experienced players, guys who have been around for ages… They don’t buy into that. It worked at GT, where it was a younger team. Sometimes, inexperienced players love to follow that kind of leadership,” AB de Villiers said.

Graeme Smith prioritized the team above all else- AB de Villiers

Drawing on the example of Graeme Smith, the former RCB batsman emphasized that such a leadership style often struggles to succeed within a team comprising experienced cricketers and prominent stars.

“I recall Graeme Smith’s approach. He prioritized the team above all else, and as a young player, my role was simply to follow suit. Now, with figures like Rohit and Bumrah in the mix, the message is clear: ‘Just remain composed and contribute insights on winning matches. Bravado isn’t necessary.’ This isn’t a critique of Hardik; I enjoy watching his aggressive style,” said Hardik Pandya.

“I appreciate his confidence because I once held similar beliefs. As a batsman, I understood the need to project confidence even when feeling intimidated. In the heat of battle, being timid wasn’t an option for me. Making eye contact with the opposition was my way of asserting myself. If I faltered, I had to accept it as part of the game. But overcoming such challenges only bolstered my confidence,” he stated.

“Hardik has understood that. But it takes a special senior player to buy into that. You know what? You fake it, and we’ll follow,” he concluded.


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