As captain of the Mumbai Indians, Hardik had a disappointing first season where MI finished at the bottom of IPL table.
In light of Hardik Pandya’s current challenging phase in his career, former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has shown his sympathy for the player. According to the Turbunator, Hardik “hasn’t been a free man in the last two months.” However, Harbhajan feels that next month’s T20 World Cup will see a different Hardik Pandya.
Hardik’s tough time in IPL 2024
As captain of the Mumbai Indians, Hardik led his team to the bottom of the points table, and he had a disappointing IPL season overall. To make matters worse, even at MI’s home stadium, the Wankhede Stadium, he was continuously jeered by fans whenever he took the field. Harbhajan however expects the tide to turn during the T20 World Cup 2024.
Harbhajan backs Hardik
“When he wears that blue jersey, he will be a different Hardik Pandya because we know he can score those runs and take those wickets. I want Hardik to come good as he has gone through a lot and I wish him all the very best to have a very good tournament for India,” Harbhajan told PTI in an exclusive interview.
“If he has a good tournament, obviously India will have a great chance to go forward. Yes, his form is a bit of a concern…and a lot of other stuff was going on around him, his shifting from Gujarat to Mumbai, was a big change and the team (MI) didn’t react too well to Hardik coming back and that too as captain,” the former off-spinner added.
Hardik facing flak for MI’s decision
The selection of Hardik to lead the Mumbai Indians in lieu of the seasoned Rohit Sharma caused a stir among the supporters of the team. There was a lot of opposition to the plan to remove Rohit from his leadership position and give it to Rohit. Hence Pandya faced a lot of backlash, making it difficult for him to perform as a player too.
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