Hardik Pandya is still struggling to get going with Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League 2024. He was a confident player with the Gujarat Titans, but this was missing after he returned to MI for his second stint. He couldn’t handle the pressure in the game against Punjab Kings and allowed Rohit Sharma to lead the side.
Hardik only followed Rohit’s instructions, and Sharma’s decisions led Mumbai to win by 9 runs. Panday flopped with the bat again, scoring just 10 runs. The star all-rounder went on the backfoot when Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma started smashing MI bowlers for fours and sixes, and Rohit again came to Hardik’s rescue. The veteran was seen speaking to the bowlers, especially Gerald Coetzee and Akash Madhwal when they were leaking runs at an alarming rate in the death overs.
The five-time title-winning captain took care of the field placements. He was stationed in the 30-yard circle instead of the boundary rope, as in previous games, when Hardik often sent him to protect boundaries.
Former India player Harbhajan Singh also highlighted the change in approach. “Hardik is MI captain but did not lead them in the game against Punjab. It was Rohit who was making all the decisions. It is good to see Rohit coming forward; even Jasprit Bumrah gave his input. These three are the most senior players at MI and they are finally working as a group,” Harbhajan Singh said.