New Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya to miss out on IPL 2024?
Hardik Pandya who recently replaced Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indians' new captain is likely to give the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) a miss due to an ankle injury.
Pandya left the recently concluded ICC ODI Men's World Cup midway due to an ankle injury and reports suggested that he would not participate in the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan. News reports now suggest that he is also likely to not participate in IPL 2024.
Pandya, 30, made a comeback to the Mumbai Indians squad recently following a two-year stint at Gujarat Titans and was named skipper of the five-time champions.
In his two-season stint at Titans, Hardik scored 833 runs in 30 innings, with an average of 41.65 and strike rate of 133.49. He took 11 wickets for them with an economy of 8.1.
Pandya's return to MI made waves, but his replacement as the captain evoked sharp criticisms from various sections of cricketing fanbase.
Pandya has led India in 13 of their last 25 T20Is but is currently out of action with an ankle injury sustained during this year's ODI World Cup.
Mumbai Indians said the change in leadership was a part of their future planning and thanked Rohit, the joint-most-successful captain in the tournament's history alongside Chennai Super Kings' M.S. Dhoni.
«It is part of legacy building and staying true to the MI philosophy of being future-ready,» Mahela Jayawardene, Mumbai's global head of performance, said in a statement late Friday.
«It is in keeping with this philosophy that Hardik Pandya will assume captaincy of Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2024 season.»
Hardik began his IPL career at Mumbai Indians and developed into one of the best allrounders in the game.
