IPL 2024 Auction: 'Hardik Pandya Is Not A Finished Product As Captain' - Aakash Chopra

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra believes that Hardik Pandya is still evolving as a captain, despite his successful stint with the Gujarat Titans (GT). Chopra emphasized that Mumbai Indians need to guide Hardik Pandya to develop into an accomplished leader.

Hardik Pandya has rejoined the Mumbai Indians (MI) from the Gujarat Titans (GT) in an all-cash trade. He has been appointed as the captain of the Mumbai team for the upcoming IPL season. The all-rounder will lead the five-time champions in place of Rohit Sharma.

Rohit Sharma led the franchise to five IPL trophies and one Champions League title during his decade-long captaincy from 2013 to 2023. He took over the captaincy from Ricky Ponting in 2013. His departure as the captain marked the conclusion of a remarkable era.

Ashish Nehra Had A Tremendous Role In Making Hardik Pandya – Aakash Chopra

Speaking on JioCinema’s daily sports show ‘#AAKASHVANI,’ Aakash Chopra credited Ashish Nehra for playing a crucial role in developing Hardik Pandya’s captaincy skills with the Gujarat Titans.

“It’s my understanding and not some inside news. When Hardik (Pandya) decided to move from Gujarat, captaincy may have been a part of the deal. This decision would have been definitely communicated to Rohit Sharma as well. Rohit would have also been briefed about Mumbai Indians’ future plans,” said Chopra.

“I feel Ashish Nehra had a tremendous role in making Hardik the captain he was at Gujarat Titans. So Mumbai’s job is cut out. They have to provide inputs at a different level for Hardik to replicate them on the field, because I don’t think Hardik, as a captain, is a finished product yet.”

There Is No One Bigger Than A Team – Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra described Rohit Sharma stepping down as the Mumbai Indians captain as the end of an era. Chopra emphasized the importance of recognizing the right time to transition leadership for the team’s future.

“Rohit is a legend. It’s an end of an era. He led the team for 10 years and won five IPL titles. He worked a lot for this and also earned a lot of fame. But there comes a time when you start thinking about the future. To be fair, the last two years have been average for MI, considering the high standards they have set for themselves.”

“While it’s extremely important to give someone a chance at the right time, it’s even more critical to decide when to let go of someone. There has been talk on social media that Rohit should have been allowed to leave on his own terms or may be allowed to lead MI in one match before Hardik was asked to take over. I personally don’t subscribe to it. There is no one bigger than a team,” Chopra concluded.

Rohit Sharma secured victories for the Mumbai Indians in five seasons (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020), making him the joint record-holder for the most IPL titles alongside MS Dhoni. He led the team to 87 wins out of 158 matches, achieving a win percentage of 55.06.

Also read: Suryakumar Yadav Reacts With Broken-Heart Emoji To Hardik Pandya’s Announcement As MI Skipper For IPL 2024