In 2024, Hardik Pandya had a dismal Indian Premier League season. The Mumbai Indians’ campaign was marred by controversy from the beginning to the conclusion, as they finished the season with just four victories, bottom of the league. Before the first ball was played in the 2024 Indian Premier League, tensions were high at the MI camp. Many Mumbai Indians supporters were not happy with Hardik Pandya’s selection as captain, and they took to social media to express their disapproval of the management.

Hardik Pandya of the Mumbai Indians reacts to being benched during the Lucknow Super Giants vs. Mumbai Indians IPL 2024 cricket match.

Hardik was jeered throughout the first few games of the season at Wankhede Stadium, demonstrating that nothing had changed. The fact that the all-rounder’s personal performances fell well short of expectations did not help. Pandya amassed 216 runs at an average of 18,000 and a strike rate of 143.04 in 14 games, with a career-high score of 46. In addition, he claimed 11 wickets at a dismal 35.18 average and 10.75 economy rate.

Though Hardik did manage to earn a berth in Team India’s T20 World Cup roster, concerns over the star all-rounder’s form remain as the team prepares for the competition in less than a month. Though Hardik has played for India in the past, former player and captain Suresh Raina expressed little worry over his difficulties, saying that all will be forgotten when he “performs against Pakistan.”

“He’s performed really well (for India). Someone’s transient bad behaviour does not define them. Everyone will compliment him when he plays well against Pakistan in the World Cup, Raina stated.

Over the past few years, Hardik has been an important part of the Indian T20I team. In 2023, he oversaw the team while Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were away, concentrating mostly on the ODI World Cup. With Rohit taking over the leadership responsibilities, the senior players made their comeback to T20Is earlier this year in the bilateral series against Afghanistan.

Hardik, T20 World Cup deputy captain

After captaining Rohit Sharma in the IPL, Hardik will have a different role as the team’s leader when he enters the T20 World Cup, where India will be attempting to win their first ICC championship in eleven years. Instead, he will be playing under the star opener.

The all-rounder was selected as Rohit’s backup for the major event; India’s World Cup campaign kicks off on June 5 against Ireland and continues on June 8 against bitter rivals Pakistan.

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As if Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya’s frustrations from the 2024 Indian Premier League weren’t enough. The all-rounder suffered a blow even before clubs could begin planning for the upcoming campaign. Hardik’s punishment for keeping a slow over rate in MI’s final game of the season against the Lucknow Super Giants meant that, BCCI stated late on Friday night, he would not be eligible to participate in the opening game of the next season.

“Hardik Pandya, the Mumbai Indians captain, has been fined after his team maintained a slow over rate during their TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match against Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on May 17,” the BCCI stated.

Since MI doesn’t have any more games this season, the suspension will start at the first game of the following one. Even if MI chooses to continue using Hardik as their permanent captain, they will need to play a fresh captain for their tournament debut the following year.

After Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant, Hardik became the second player this year to get a suspension for an overrate offence. Similar to Pant, Hardik received a one-match suspension for committing his third overrate infraction of the season. The MI players, including the Impact Player versus LSG, were fined ₹12 Lakh, or 50% of their respective match costs, and the MI captain was also fined ₹30 lakh.

“Pandya was fined INR 30 lakhs and prohibited from playing in the team’s next game since it was his team’s third infringement of the season in relation to minimum over rate violations under the IPL’s Code of Conduct. The Impact Player and the other members of the Playing XI were each fined INR 12 lakhs or half of their respective match costs, whichever was lower, according to the BCCI.

MI’s disappointing season with Pandya

As captain and a player for MI this season, Pandya had an unmemorable campaign. In 14 matches, he scored a pitiful average of 18 runs, totaling only 218 runs. Despite taking 11 wickets, his economy rate of 10.75 was quite concerning. As a captain, he was unable to motivate the team, and as a result, the five-time winners finished bottom in the standings with only four victories in 14 games.

With great enthusiasm, Pandya returned to the MI lineup, although the club won just four of his fourteen games as captain.”It was really challenging. In the end, our poor cricketing performance cost us the entire season,” Pandya remarked following MI’s 18-run defeat to the Lucknow Super Giants.

It’s a world of professionals. We must constantly present ourselves in the best possible light. However, collectively, we were unable to play intelligent or high-caliber cricket.”

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With the ninth T20 World Cup just a few days away, skipper Rohit Sharma and teammate Rahul Dravid’s final chance to win the coveted ICC trophy are fast approaching for the Indian cricket team. When his contract ends at the end of the tournament, coach Dravid will not be pursuing an extension with the squad, so although Rohit won the T20 World Cup in its inaugural edition 17 years ago, for him it’s an if not now, then never scenario.

Though opinions may differ, Rohit, Dravid, and Ajit Agarkar, the head of selectors for the BCCI, think that this is the greatest team India could have put together of 15 players for the World Cup. Along with Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, and Virat Kohli, Rohit is back. Yashasvi Jaiswal is the thrilling opener, while Sanju Samson, along with Rishabh Pant, has finally been selected as one of the wicketkeepers, paying his dues. Hardik Pandya is the team’s designated vice-captain, despite Shivam Dube’s rapid rise to prominence at the cost of Rinku Singh, who has been a disaster with the bat and the ball as well as the Mumbai Indians captain. With a group of their calibre, you would support them to win every manner, correct? Correct?

Well, the combined efforts of the Indians might not be sufficient if former Australia Test captain Tim Paine is to be believed. According to Paine, Kohli needs to perform better than everyone else if India is to have a chance in the World Cup. In fact, according to Paine, who discussed this theory with fellow Australians Aaron Finch and Michael Clarke on the “Around the Wicket” podcast, the likelihood that India will win the World Cup depends directly on Kohli having a fantastic campaign and vice versa.

“Until Virat Kohli has a really strong World Cup, something akin to Glenn Maxwell’s form, I cannot see India winning the World Cup.” Paine compared Kohli to Maxwell and said, “I know he hasn’t been playing well lately, but I can’t see Australia winning the World Cup unless Maxwell has a blinder.”

Is Tim Paine’s comparison accurate?

But the modern incarnations of Kohli and Maxwell are as different as chalk and cheese. While Maxwell has performed incredibly well, Kohli has lit up the IPL 2024 with over 500 runs, including a century to hold the Orange Cap. IPL 2024 has been Maxwell’s lowest season with just 36 runs from 8 matches at a pitiful average of 5.14. The only things keeping RCB in the running for the Playoffs are Rajat Patidar and Kohli, and their matchup against Chennai Super Kings on Saturday is a knockout.

Returning to Paine, Kohli appears to be back to his best. In the 2022 T20 World Cup, he scored the most runs (296 from six matches at an average of 98.66) and in the ODI World Cup in India last year (765 from 11 games at an average of 95.62), he was the top run scorer in both competitions. However, as past events have shown, leading the team in runs scored alone is insufficient to win the championship. This might be Kohli’s final T20 World Cup at age 35 because he will be 37 in the next tournament. Although he hasn’t yet won a T20 World Cup, Kohli will like to repeat his RCB performance for the Men in Blue on June 5, when India kicks off their campaign against Ireland.

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