Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya failed in his first year as the five-time champions became the first franchise to be eliminated from the playoff race. Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru player AB de Villiers blamed Hardik’s captaincy style for Mumbai’s below-par performance in the Indian Premier League 2024.
“Hardik Pandya’s captaincy is ego-driven. The way he walks out on the field is not always genuine but the all-rounder pretends that everything is under control. Hardik wants to captain like MS Dhoni. He wants to be cool and calm like Dhoni but this style doesn’t work with Mumbai Indians.
“They have seniors like Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah. This style is ok with a young side like Gujarat Titans but not with Mumbai,” AB de Villiers said.
AB de Villiers shared his own experience of playing under Graeme Smith’s leadership.
“I was young when I played under Graeme Smith’s captaincy. I used to follow the instructions. Mumbai have Rohit and Bumrah and they just need a bit of input. You can’t tell them how to bat or bowl.
“They have enough experience to run a game. I am not targeting Hardik as I love watching him play,” AB de Villiers added.