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Hardik Pandya received criticism during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, thus former Team India coach Ravi Shastri backed him.
According to Ravi Shastri, improved communication would have allowed for a more seamless captaincy change.
After being moved from the Gujarat Titans (GT) to the Mumbai Indians (MI), the 30-year-old player succeeded Rohit Sharma as captain of the MI.
Considering that Rohit led the team to five IPL championships, this decision caused a considerable uproar among supporters of the team.
During their opening IPL 2024 match against the Gujarat Titans, Hardik was subjected to a lot of jeers from MI fans.
This unfavourable reaction persisted in the games that followed, including their opening home game on April 1 at Wankhede Stadium against the Rajasthan Royals (RR).
The Mumbai Indians’ miserable captaincy debut under Hardik Pandya took a turn for the worse as the team dropped three games in a row and finished bottom of the standings.
Out of the 10 competing teams, the MI team is still the only one without a victory in the current campaign.
Ravi Shastri highlighted the differences between franchise cricket and the Indian cricket team while speaking on Star Sports’ “Cricket Live Show.”
Shastri proposed granting franchises the authority to select their captain. He did, however, believe that the MI owners might have done a better job communicating and being clear.
“The Indian cricket team that is competing is not this one. This is cricket as a franchise. They made a high-end payment.
They hold the authority. They have the right to designate anybody they like as captain.
Alright, I believe that this could have been handled more skillfully if there had been greater communication,” Shastri stated.
Say we are looking to the future if that is what you wanted Hardik Pandya to be the captain. Our goal is to construct.
Everyone is aware of Rohit’s amazing work, therefore we want to continue using him to support Hardik over the next three years as the team develops,” he continued.
With a strike rate of 153.33, Hardik Pandya has scored 69 runs at an average of 23, demonstrating his inconsistent play.
With one wicket, he gave up 76 runs at an economy rate of nearly 11. Critics have also pointed to his captaincy, namely the sparing use of Jasprit Bumrah in the powerplay.
Hardik Pandya was urged by Ravi Shastri to remain composed in the face of criticism and to put his on-field performance first.
He expressed hope that the Mumbai Indians’ performance in games will quiet the critics.
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Nothing is more satisfying than results in the end. When you win games, things will get better.
Shastri said, “A lot of stuff is merely planted in other people’s names, including mine.
Up until last year, Rohit Sharma led the team to five IPL championships as captain.
Conversely, Hardik Pandya enjoyed success as he guided the Gujarat Titans to a 2022 title and a 2023 second-place result.
MI, a team notorious for slow starts, is in a crucial stage of the competition and needs victories to rekindle its hopes of making the playoffs.
On Sunday, April 7, at home against the Delhi Capitals, Hardik, in his role as captain, looks to win for the first time.
