"It's ego-driven in a way, chest out" - AB de Villiers on why MI senior players don't buy into Hardik Pandya's captaincy style
Former South African captain AB de Villiers feels Hardik Pandya's ego-driven leadership style for the Mumbai Indians (MI) isn't completely genuine, off-putting senior players like Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah. After replacing long-time skipper Rohit in the off-season, Hardik has endured a dismal IPL 2024 campaign. MI were the first team to be eliminated from playoff contention with only four wins in 12 outings.
Following their ouster, reports swirled around the senior players being unhappy with the team functioning under Hardik.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, De Villiers pointed to why Hardik's style suited a young team like Gujarat Titans (GT) but not a veteran franchise like MI.
"The captaincy style of Hardik Pandya is quite bravado. It's ego-driven in a way, chest out. I don't think how he walks on the field is always genuine, but he has decided that is his way of captaincy. Almost like MS. Cool, calm, collective, always got your chest out. But when you play with a lot of experienced players, guys who have been around for ages... They don't buy into that. It worked at GT, where it was a younger team. Sometimes, inexperienced players love to follow that kind of leadership," said De Villiers.
Apart from the team's struggles and his questionable captaincy moves, Hardik has been disappointing with his performances.
The 30-year-old has averaged under 20 with the bat and conceded runs at an economy rate of over 10.50 with the ball.
"Now there's a Rohit, there's a Bumrah. They go like, 'All we need you to be is calm" - AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers felt senior players like Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah despise Hardik Pandya's 'bravado' and instead look to the MI skipper for inputs to win games.
Before becoming MI captain, Hardik led Gujarat Titans (GT) admirably in 2022 and 2023, with a title run and a runners-up finish.
"I remember Graeme Smith. He was out there for the team. All I needed to do as a youngster was to follow. Now there's a Rohit, there's a Bumrah. They go like, 'All we need you to be is calm. Give us a bit of input on how to win matches. We don't need the bravado. I'm not having a go at Hardik. I love watching him play. I love him putting out his chest because I was like that," said AB de Villiers.
The playoff elimination was MI's third in the last four seasons after their back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020.
However, the five-time champions will look to finish on a high in their final two games against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).