Former Indian cricket team spinner Harbhajan Singh has voiced his frustration at the treatment of Hardik Pandya within the Mumbai Indians camp during the ongoing IPL 2024 season. The controversy sparked when Pandya replaced Rohit Sharma as the captain for the Mumbai-based franchise ahead of the new season. However, despite his promotion to the leadership role, Mumbai Indians have suffered three consecutive defeats under Pandya’s captaincy.
In a recent post-match analysis on Star Sports, Harbhajan Singh expressed his dismay at the sight of Pandya sitting alone in the dugout after the team’s loss to Rajasthan Royals. He emphasized that Pandya has seemingly been isolated within the team, indicating a lack of acceptance from his fellow players.
“The visuals are not looking good. He has been left alone. The players of the franchise should accept him as their captain. The decision has been made, and the team should stick together. Having played for this franchise, the situation is not looking good,” Harbhajan said, reflecting on the concerning dynamics within the team.
Harbhajan’s comments were echoed by former Mumbai Indians star Ambati Rayudu, who suggested that certain team members might be contributing to Pandya’s apparent confusion and inability to lead freely. Harbhajan further hinted at the presence of “big personalities in the dressing room” obstructing Pandya’s leadership.
“I don’t know whether it is intentional or unintentional, but there are a lot of people in the team who are making him confused. The big personalities in the dressing room are not allowing him to work freely as a captain. This is not a good situation to be in for any captain,” he added, shedding light on the underlying tensions within the team.
Meanwhile, former India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu weighed in on the controversy, suggesting that the timing of Pandya’s appointment as captain coincided unfavorably with the BCCI’s announcement of Rohit Sharma as India’s T20 World Cup squad captain. Sidhu implied that had Rohit been named captain earlier, Mumbai Indians might not have opted for Pandya as skipper.
The backlash against Pandya has extended beyond the confines of the dressing room, with fans expressing their discontent by booing him during matches. Sidhu empathized with the fans’ sentiment, attributing it to Rohit Sharma’s immense popularity and success.
“Nobody can digest the fact that India’s hero, India’s captain, is not the captain of our franchise. ‘What wrong has he done?’ is what fans of the franchise would be thinking. But what does he have to do? There is nothing that succeeds like success. If he had won these two matches, there wouldn’t have been any noise,” Sidhu explained, highlighting the weight of expectations placed on Pandya’s shoulders.
As the IPL season unfolds, the controversy surrounding Hardik Pandya’s captaincy continues to simmer, raising questions about team dynamics, leadership transitions, and the impact of external factors on player performance. It remains to be seen how Mumbai Indians navigate these challenges and whether Pandya can rally his team to turn their fortunes around on the field.
