There’s fresh drama in the Hardik Pandya story. Now, it’s been suggested that his nasty ankle injury might sideline him from India’s Premier League (IPL) 2024 season.
With lots of uncertainty, the 30-year-old was swapped from Gujarat Titans (GT) to Mumbai Indians (MI) recently. At first, GT held onto Hardik Pandya when the player list came out. But then, whispers started that he’d been moved to MI. Right after the roster deadline passed, both MI and GT confirmed the switch.
And there was another pivotal announcement recently. Mumbai Indians excelled Hardik Pandya to the position of team captain for the IPL 2024 season. He is stepping into the shoes of Rohit Sharma, who’s been in charge since 2013.
As he is unlikely to fully recover from the injury he received during the 2023 ODI World Cup, the all-rounder could not be available for the next IPL season, according to a report in NDTV. The website claimed that they had received confirmation from sources.
Since he twisted his ankle trying to block a ball in his follow-through during the 2023 World Cup league match against Bangladesh, Hardik Pandya has been sidelined. In the four matches he participated in at the ICC tournament, he batted once and scored an undefeated eleven. Against Pakistan, he took five wickets at an average of 22.60 off his fast bowling, with a high of 2/34.
Mahela Jayawardene Opens Up on Hardik Pandya’s Appointment as MI Captain
Even though he was dealing with an injury, the Mumbai Indians brought in Hardik Pandya from Gujarat. They also made him captain. Rohit Sharma and MI fans didn’t like this decision.
The global head of cricket for the Mumbai Indians, Mahela Jayawardene, acknowledged that it was a difficult decision while discussing the momentous step.
“It was a tough decision. It was emotional, to be honest. It’s fair on the fans as well (to react). I think everyone is emotional and we have to respect that as well. But at the same time, as a franchise, you have to make those decisions.”
“Hardik has been in the dressing room for quite some time, so that’s nothing new. We know what he brings in as an all-rounder.”
Mahela Jayawardene
Hardik Pandya has been in 92 games for MI, he’s hit 1476 runs with a 153.91 strike speed. As a bowler, he’s taken 42 hits, with a 31.26 average and a 9.06 economy rate.