Ahead of the IPL 2024 edition, Hardik Pandya, who completed a high-profile trade from Gujarat Titans (GT) to Mumbai Indians (MI), replaced Rohit Sharma as skipper of the five-time champions.
However, the all-rounder failed to create an impact as captain. The five-time champions finished the season at the bottom of the points table and became the first team to be eliminated from the playoffs race.
In the T20 World Cup 2024, starting on June 1, the tables will turn as Rohit will lead the Indian team, which includes Hardik as vice-captain.
With barely a few days remaining for the start of India’s T20 World Cup campaign, the Indian management will have a tough job of bringing Rohit and Hardik together and avoid an MI-like situation in the Indian dressing room.
During the recently concluded IPL season, some reports emerged in the media claiming that Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya did not see eye to eye in the MI dressing room, which led to a rumoured division within the team.
Meanwhile, former all-rounder Irfan Pathan has suggested India head coach Rahul Dravid not to bring up the IPL topic during the upcoming T20 World Cup and rather should focus on getting the best out of Pandya.
“I will not even discuss this. Whatever happened has happened. I will just say that this is my expectation from you: I want you to win matches for India. This is the roadmap, and you are an important part of the team and a match-winner. Being an all-rounder, I will say he will play a crucial role. How many fast bowlers have we taken? Just three specialist bowlers, besides Hardik and Shivam Dube. So when the time comes, these 3-4 overs will become very crucial. Remember, he will allow us to play an extra spinner in West Indies when we play day games. So this is where he comes into the picture, he needs to feel good and believe that he can make a contribution and hence the conversation of the IPL should not be even happening even once,” Pathan told ESPNCricinfo.
He also reminded Dravid about Greg Chappell's Aussie methodology not working in the Indian set-up that believes in “celebrity culture.”
“Australia do not have a celebrity culture, but we have that. Ideally, I would want that balance between the two cultures. But we are Indians, out mindset and ethics are different. I said this before as well, when Greg Chappell came in, his intentions were pure. He wanted Indian cricket to go on a high and hence wanted every player to be treated equally and work in the same way. But his way was proper Australian, which did not work in India. I have huge respect for him. I told to him as well that while you want Indian cricket to grow, this aggression won't work,” Pathan remarked.
India, slotted in Group A alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, USA, Canada and Ireland, will begin their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign against Ireland in New York on June 5.
