Former South African captain AB de Villiers has raised concerns about Hardik Pandya’s captaincy approach at Mumbai Indians, suggesting that Pandya’s ego-driven style may not be suitable for a team with experienced players.
De Villiers, who played alongside Pandya at Royal Challengers Bangalore, believes that Pandya’s leadership style, which he described as “bravado” and “ego-driven,” may have worked well with the relatively inexperienced squad of Gujarat Titans, but it could be less effective with the more experienced Mumbai Indians team.
“I don’t think how he walks on the field is always genuine, but he has decided that is his way of captaincy,” de Villiers said on his YouTube channel. “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.”
De Villiers’ comments come amid reports that senior players at Mumbai Indians have expressed concerns about Pandya’s captaincy style, which they believe has led to a decline in the team’s morale during the IPL season.
According to an Indian Express report, senior players Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Suryakumar Yadav held a meeting following a loss in which they expressed their concerns about Pandya’s leadership. Individual meetings were also held to determine the underlying problem.
A Mumbai Indians official attributed the team’s struggles this season to the transitional phase that they are in, following the departure of long-time captain Rohit Sharma. “These are regular teething problems for a team that sees leadership change. This happens in sports all the time,” the official said.
It remains to be seen whether Pandya will adjust his captaincy style in response to the concerns raised by senior players. Mumbai Indians have struggled in recent seasons, finishing fifth in 2021, tenth in 2022, and ninth in 2023. They are currently fourth in the IPL standings this season, but their playoff hopes are hanging in the balance.
