Mumbai Indians’ (MI) plan to bring in Hardik Pandya from Gujarat Titans (GT) and make him captain in place of Rohit Sharma in a bid for playoffs position fell flat in the IPL 2024. Not only was Hardik Pandya’s appointment as captain of the team not received well by the MI fans, but the franchise failed to qualify for the final four and finished at the bottom of the points table.
Amid rising criticism over Hardik's captaincy, brutal reactions from the spectators at each of the venues, and an inconsistent show from most of the first-choice players, MI struggled to string together a series of wins.
They ended their IPL 2024 season with a loss to Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday. And then franchise owner Nita Ambani addressed the team. She labeled the 2024 season a "disappointing" campaign and admitted there would be a performance review before the franchise looks ahead towards the mega auction for the 2025 season.
“Disappointing season for all of us. Things didn't go the way we wanted them to, but I'm still a huge Mumbai Indians fan. Not just an owner. I think wearing the Mumbai Indians jersey is a huge honor and a privilege, and to be associated with Mumbai Indians, for me, is an honor and a privilege. I think we will go back, review, and think about it," Ambani said in a video shared by MI.
She also wished luck to MI’s T20 World Cup-bound players. The ICC event begins on June 1 in the USA and the West Indies. India will play their first game on June 5 against Ireland.
“To Rohit, Hardik, Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) and (Jasprit) Bumrah, I think, all Indians are cheering for you. We wish you all the best,” she added.