After Mumbai Indians‘ defeat to Chennai Super Kings in the ongoing Indian Premier League season, Hardik Pandya faced scathing criticism for his subpar bowling and captaincy. However, legendary Australian cricketer Brett Lee came to the defense of the five-time champions. While batting legend Sunil Gavaskar condemned Hardik’s mediocre performance, legendary West Indian Brian Lara lamented the lack of quality in Mumbai’s bowling attack.

During the first El Clasico of the IPL 2024, former CSK captain MS Dhoni hammered three sixes off Hardik Pandya’s final over at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. This helped CSK post a massive total after Pandya leaked 26 runs. The MI skipper has faced backlash from fans since returning to Mumbai Indians after leaving Gujarat Titans. Pandya’s homecoming at Wankhede Stadium was a difficult one.

After replacing veteran Rohit Sharma as captain for Mumbai in IPL 2024, Hardik Pandya has faced criticism as the team has struggled under his leadership. With Pandya at the helm, Mumbai have slipped to eighth place after losing the blockbuster clash against CSK at home. Though former Australian pacer Brett Lee believes that Mumbai will gain momentum once their star players find the rhythm, some have questioned the team’s decision to replace the experienced Rohit with the less experienced Pandya.

“Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya have earned the strong support of their Mumbai Indians teammates in the IPL, as evidenced by my observations. The Mumbai Indians tend to start slowly before building momentum, a pattern seen throughout the franchise’s history. However, once Rohit or Hardik finds their rhythm, their performances will escalate rapidly, propelling the team to success,” Brett Lee told the Times of India.

“Regardless of who leads the team—whether it’s Rohit, Hardik, or someone else—I feel reassured because they all have the ability to inspire and motivate their teammates to achieve more.” added Lee.

Although Hardik Pandya took key wickets, his spell proved costly as Mumbai Indians fell short against Chennai Super Kings in the first Clasico of the season. The MI skipper claimed Ruturaj Gaikwad for 69 and Daryl Mitchell for 17 but leaked 43 runs in his three overs. In contrast, Rohit Sharma smashed a brilliant century, his first IPL ton in 12 years, though it went in vain with CSK defeating MI by 20 runs.

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