What role did Mumbai Indians play in changing Hardik Pandya’s career? What are the main reasons being cited for the poor performance of Mumbai Indians under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya? What was the reaction of the fans and players to the decision to remove Rohit Sharma from the captaincy? Can Chennai Super Kings become the next destination for Hardik Pandya?
Mumbai: An attitude that not everyone likes. A player who never hides his emotions on the field. For this reason, he was ignored many times at the junior level. By 2014, it seemed that his career would be limited to street cricket only. But from there, the foundation of making him a premium all-rounder of Indian cricket was laid by a team – Mumbai Indians. The journey from a base price of Rs 10 lakh to becoming the captain of the same team. It was like a dream for any player, and this dream was lived by Hardik Himanshu Pandya.
But, at the peak of his career, Hardik seems to be facing the biggest setback. It is possible that soon he will have to step down from the captaincy of Mumbai Indians. After all, what is the reason for Hardik’s ups and downs, and what will be his future if he has to leave the Mumbai jersey?
From 2015 to 2021, Hardik grew as an all-rounder and a star with Mumbai. The journey of both the team and Hardik was in the same direction. During this period, Mumbai won four titles and Hardik became an important part of the national team. But, a back injury in 2019 changed everything. In the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Hardik was with the team only as a batsman.
When the all-rounder’s advantage started waning, Mumbai decided to release him before the mega auction. Hardik’s career skyrocketed when Mumbai bought him in 2015, and the same happened when he was released in 2021. He became the captain of Gujarat Titans, played two seasons, winning the title in one and finishing runners-up in the other. Here, once again Mumbai brought a new turn in Hardik’s career.
A chance to return to the team, and also the captaincy. This was the most sensational trade in IPL history. Till now, whenever Mumbai and Hardik came together, both of them got only progress. But this time, while focusing on the future of the franchise, the management made some mistakes.
The first mistake was to suddenly remove Rohit Sharma from the captaincy as soon as Hardik arrived. This decision was taken when Rohit had not even recovered from the defeat of the 2023 ODI World Cup final. The fans did not like this behavior at all with the captain who had won 5 titles. Its anger was visible both on the streets and in the stadium. And Hardik Pandya became its victim.
The second mistake was that there were two more players worthy of captaincy in the team at that time – Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav. Both of them were ignored and the captaincy position was given to Hardik. Bumrah and Surya showed no hesitation in expressing their displeasure through social media. There were many reports in the national media that due to this the atmosphere in the dressing room has become tense. Nevertheless, it was expected that its effect would not be visible on the field.
But, the Mumbai Indians under the captaincy of Rohit, who were known for making comebacks, their enthusiasm and unity were never seen under the captaincy of Hardik. Hardik captained Mumbai in 39 matches, losing 24. And in just three seasons, he was branded as the worst captain of the franchise. His behavior on the field, his attitude towards senior players, his habit of not listening to advice, and his tactical errors – there was a lot to count in just one season.
Hardik once said about Mumbai Indians that this team wins titles by bringing the world’s biggest superstars. Rohit’s answer on this is also worth remembering, that Mumbai creates superstars. Hardik was also one of those created superstars. But when the world’s best players came into Hardik’s hands, he could not do anything. The only saving grace now seems to be the 2025 play-offs.
This season the team could win only four matches. The owners were seen getting up and leaving in the middle of the match. Under the captaincy of Hardik, Mumbai did not get what was expected, rather the team saw the worst phase in its history.
Now the question is what next? There are rumors that Hardik may go to Chennai Super Kings. But is the environment of Chennai right for Hardik? This is a question. Chennai is also going through a phase of change, Ruturaj is the captain there, and Sanju Samson is also being seen as Dhoni’s successor. Would Hardik be willing to accept anything less than captaincy? This is another big question.