Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra expressed his views on Hardik Pandya‘s new role as the captain of the Mumbai Indians for the upcoming 2024 IPL season. The announcement comes ahead of the IPL auctions scheduled for December 19, 2023, in Dubai.
Taking over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma, who led the franchise since 2013 and achieved great success with five IPL titles, Pandya’s appointment has raised eyebrows. Aakash Chopra shared his insights on his daily sports show, ‘#AAKASHVANI,’ on JioCinema.
“Rohit likely got information on Mumbai Indians’ future plans. Ashish Nehra played a big part in shaping Hardik as a captain at Gujarat Titans. Mumbai now has a task on hand, they must offer guidance to Hardik at a higher level for him to implement on the field. I believe Hardik, in his captaincy role, is still a work in progress,” he said.
Pandya, who returned to Mumbai Indians in an all-cash deal, with the Gujarat Titans receiving 15 crores for releasing the player, faces the challenge of proving himself as a captain in the upcoming season.
The Mumbai Indians will need to play a crucial role in shaping Pandya’s leadership skills for success on the field.