Indians captain Hardik Pandya, set to lead the franchise for the first time in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), said that he wants to play a brand of cricket that "no one will forget".

MI ignited a huge debate after the five-time champions decided to replace Rohit Sharma as captain with Hardik. There have been rumours of a possible rift between Rohit and the man replacing hi, Hardik. While the focus has been on Hardik in the lead up to the new season, the all-rounder has promised MI fans that they will try to play a brand of cricket that everyone will be proud of. "The feeling of wearing this colour is very special for me. The journey started here, coming back home and playing is always going to be special. We will make sure we will play a brand of cricket which all will be proud of and at the same point of time it's going to be a ride no one will forget," Pandya said in a video posted by MI. Hardik returns to MI after playing two seasons for GT, leading the franchise to their maiden IPL title in their debut season in the league back in 2022. Last season, he guided them to a second place finish as GT lost to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the final. Despite the move to replace Rohit as captain facing severe backlash from fans, MI head coach Mark Boucher has backed Hardik to do well in his first season as captain of the franchise. "He (Pandya) certainly knows the changing room better than what I do. It's sort of homecoming for a couple of people. He has fitted in really well and is excited for the season. We look forward to having him back and winning some games for Mumbai Indians again," Boucher said in another video posted by MI. "At the start of each season, everyone is very excited. There are a couple of new faces around, so there's a little bit of nerves as well. We would like to build up to the start of the season," he added.