"Hopefully he would be able to hold the ball" - AB de Villiers on Hardik Pandya
AB de Villiers believes that although Hardik Pandya's homecoming has theoretically corrected Mumbai Indians' playing 11 balance issues, the franchise would hope he's able to bowl a bit and play as a proper all-rounder.
Pandya returned to the franchise in an all-cash trade before the season. Mumbai facilitated that by off-loading Cameron Green to Royal Challengers Bangalore, effectively saving an extra overseas spot by replacing an Australian with an Indian of similar skillsets. Soon, they announced he had also replaced Rohit Sharma as the captain.
"Hardik Pandya - they needed him to comeback; otherwise, the balance just didn't look as strong. I think Hardik is going to play a huge role. Hopefully he would be able to hold the ball in hand and be the all-rounder that Mumbai Indians need him to be," De Villiers said.
Pandya hasn't played any high-level cricket since twisting his ankle during the 2023 World Cup. However, he has bowled a few overs in some local competitions.
Another massive boost for the franchise would be ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah roaring back to prime form. In the recently concluded five-Test series against England, he was by far the best bowler on display, despite the wickets favouring spinners.
"I am looking forward to watch him bowl," de Villiers said. "We've missed him in the IPL, now he's back in full flight. We've watched him perform for India in the Test matches, he was simply outstanding. When the heat is on, you want Jasprit Bumrah in your team. He comes through for you 9/10 times, he makes it work, he gets the big wickets."
De Villiers added that Mumbai have a "lot of talent" in their squad but would need batters like Rohit, Ishan Kishan and Dewald Brevis to show much better T20 form than in recent months.
"Some players just come in and look like they have played for 10 years" - AB de Villiers on Mumbai Indians' scouting
De Villiers also praised Mumbai Indians' scouting network, known for finding players like Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal among others.
"They are incredibly good at scouting new players. And these players, some of them you've never heard from before -- they just come in and look like they have played for 10 years. That's always a sign of a healthy franchise."
Mumbai will begin their IPL 2024 campaign against Gujarat Titans on March 24.