'There will be a lot of pressure on Hardik Pandya': Parthiv Patel

Parthiv Patel and Hardik Pandya. Pics/AFP

Former India stumper Parthiv Patel on Thursday said Hardik Pandya will be under tremendous pressure while leading Mumbai Indians in the upcoming IPL 2024 but termed his appointment as captain "a well thought-out decision" by the franchise. Pandya's appointment as MI's new captain marked the end of Rohit Sharma's legendary reign.

"Of course, his (Pandya's) captaincy is a talking point. The way he led the side (Gujarat Titans), winning the championship in the first year, a last-ball finish in the final next year, it was a great run at Gujarat Titans," Parthiv told JioCinema. "Hardik has moved on, is now back in Mumbai, where his cricket started. There will be a lot of expectations from MI because the trophy is long due.

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"For MI, qualifying is not a success; it's about winning championships. That's something they must have thought, and it seems like a well-thought decision to get him on board, looking at the future." While the decision to remove Rohit from captaincy did not sit well with some, it was made keeping in mind MI's transition. Parthiv added, "There will be a lot of pressure on Hardik. It will be challenging; replacing a five-time title-winning captain and a team that is used to playing a certain way for 10 years. "And, this change of guard will be challenging for Hardik and for the players who are so used to playing under Rohit Sharma."

Rohit, who led India to the ODI World Cup final last year, had been captaining the franchise since 2013 when they lifted the first of their five IPL trophies. Pandya, who had made his IPL debut with MI in 2015, won four titles with the team before moving to Gujarat Titans in 2022, with whom he won the tournament in their maiden season. Speaking on the same subject, former India player Wasim Jaffer will be looking to make a mark straightaway.

"For Mumbai, Hardik is coming back and leading, so it will be mixed emotions for Mumbai Indians fans. We can expect that it will be a full house that day with almost 120,000 people. That's a fixture to look forward to," he told Star Sports. "I think Hardik Pandya will look to get this out straightaway, and if he gets one win, he will set an example of how he's leading by example. He will be looking to stamp his authority in the game."

MI play their IPL 2024 opener against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on March 24.

(With agency inputs)