Things were hard for Hardik Pandya during the IPL and even during the 2024 T20 World Cup as he played with minimum support from the fans. India all-rounder Hardik Pandya certainly scripted a perfect revenge story in the history of cricket. A player, who was booed by his own home crowd during the Indian Premier League 2024 is now the cynosure of all eyes after leading India to a T20 World Cup title following a long wait of 17 years.
Things were hard for Hardik Pandya during the IPL and even during the 2024 T20 World Cup as he played with minimum support from the fans. The star all-rounder re-earned the love of the fans after playing a crucial role in India’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign in USA and West Indies.
Hardik Pandya’s downfall and resurgence in span of 6 months from IPL to WT20
The criticisms had begun after Mumbai Indians shockingly replaced Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as the captain last December for the IPL 2024 season. While the move was lashed out at by veteran cricketers and experts, Hardik Pandya was attacked on social media. The online attack soon turned into boos during each of Mumbai’s matches and remained a constant as the side finished bottom of the table for the second time in three seasons.
However, Hardik Pandya bounced back from the IPL drama in stunning fashion to play a pivotal role in India’s run to a second T20 World Cup win. One of his best performances came in the final, against South Africa, where he dismissed the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen before picking two wickets in the final over to successfully defend 16 runs as India won by seven runs.
Despite his struggles, Hardik Pandya proved decisive during the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies, especially in crucial moments for Team India, including the final. Overall, he scored 144 runs at a strike rate of 151.57 in six innings and picked up 11 wickets throughout the tournament.
Hardik Pandya has been going through a tough time in the past one year since the time he was made the captain of IPL side Mumbai Indians. After he replaced Rohit Sharma as the skipper of Mumbai Indians, Pandya was booed at most stadiums where the side played at the IPL 2024.
After the T20 World Cup 2022, he was deemed to take over as the T20 captaincy but instead Rohit was made the skipper for the 2024 edition. Post the 2024 T20 World Cup, where he was the vice-captain, Hardik Pandya was expected to take over the captaincy again as Rohit announced retirement.
However, that did not happen as Suryakumar Yadav was named the T20I skipper for the Sri Lanka Tour. That decision, according to BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar, was due to fact that Pandya has had long trysts with injury.
Now, former Sri Lanka player Russell Arnold had an interesting analysis of the situation which he explains ahead of India’s tour to Sri Lanka
Former Sri Lankan batter Russell Arnold on Indian all-rounder’s Hardik Pandya’s T20I captaincy snub
Former Sri Lankan batter Russel Arnold feels the IPL 2024 had a massive role in Hardik Pandya’s snubbing as India’s T20I captain. Hardik led the Indian T20I side in the absence of Rohit Sharma last year until his injury during the ODI World Cup.
He was also the deputy to Rohit during India’s victorious title run in the recent T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA. Yet, the management handed over the captaincy reigns in the shortest format to Suryakumar Yadav after Rohit’s T20I retirement.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated fitness as the reason for picking Suryakumar over Hardik Pandya as India’s next T20I skipper. However, in a conversation with Sports Tak ahead of the India-Sri Lanka white-ball series, Arnold feels the decision was made out of Hardik’s struggles to earn the respect of the dressing room during IPL 2024.
“Well, both are exceptional players. They bring different things to the party. Suryakumar Yadav is probably one of the better T20 batters going around and the way he plays it, he obviously has to see and read the game like no one else. Hardik has also shown that. But I reckon with how the IPL went and whereas Hardik couldn’t really gain the respect of everyone around him, might have prompted BCCI to look in a different direction,” Arnold said.
He added:
“It’s about getting everyone to gel and keeping everyone calm and happy so that you can pull in the one direction. I’m not saying that wouldn’t have happened under Hardik, but I guess, at this particular moment, it was a good opportunity and it’s a great opportunity for Suryakumar to showcase what he can do and make it his own.”
Hardik Pandya took over the Mumbai Indians (MI) captaincy role from long-time skipper Rohit Sharma before the 2024 IPL season. However, he failed to cope with the massive expectations and the negative crowd response, as MI finished at the bottom of the points table with only four wins in 14 outings.
Ajit Agarkar defends his decision of selecting SKY over Hardik Pandya as T20I captain.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar validated the decision to appoint Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I captain over Hardik Pandya by pointing to the latter’s fitness issues.
The star all-rounder has suffered several injuries in his international career, including an ankle injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup.
While addressing reporters after India’s squad selection for the Sri Lankan tour, Agarkar said:
“But in regards to Hardik (Pandya), he’s still a very important player for us and that’s what we want him to be that player that he can be because those sorts of skill sets are very difficult to find what he has. Fitness, obviously, has been a challenge for him over the last few years and then it becomes a little bit more difficult for him and even as selectors. The fitness is a clear challenge and we want someone who’s likely to be available more often than not.”
Team India will play the first of three T20Is against Sri Lanka in Pallekele on July 27. The T20Is will be followed by three ODIs from August 2 to 7.