NEW DELHI: Hardik Pandya's return to Mumbai Indians as skipper was expected to mark a new beginning for the team. However, the reality has been far from that, with MI mired in chaos amidst a lackluster IPL 2024 season.
Currently placed eighth in the points table with just six points from eight games, the five-time champions are in dire need of inspiration from Pandya, who previously led Gujarat Titans to remarkable success.
Critics, including Simon Doull and Adam Gilchrist, have voiced their disappointment with Pandya's captaincy during discussions on Cricbuzz.
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While Doull acknowledged Pandya's past success at Gujarat, he emphasized that Pandya still had room for growth as a captain.
"It is a tough thing to come and take over a franchise that is so storied and successful. He obviously had good captaincy skills at Gujarat, you don't lose those. I think he is growing into it but he's still got work to do," said Doull.
However, it was Gilchrist's assessment that struck a chord, as he pointed out deficiencies in Pandya's strategic decision-making.
"I am not seeing him strategically getting it right. I think some batting positional changes, some bowling changes at certain times, just overall strategy, I don't think as captain he's quite got it right," Gilchrist remarked, highlighting concerns regarding batting and bowling changes and overall strategy.
Gilchrist's observation underscores the challenges Pandya faces in leading MI to success. His struggle with MI raises concerns for the BCCI, who view him as a potential successor to Rohit Sharma's captaincy.
