MI stars unhappy with Hardik Pandya's captaincy appointment? Aakash Chopra makes bold 'command respect' statement

Former India National Cricket Team opening batsman Aakash Chopra has issued a massive warning to the newly-appointed Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya, saying that he needs to earn the respect of his peers while leading the team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

Hardik Pandya had a homecoming moment when he rejoined Mumbai Indians (MI) after being away from the franchise for two years. He was released by the Mumbai-based franchise ahead of the Indian Premier League 2022 mega auction and he was picked up by Gujarat Titans (GT).

GT handed him the leadership responsibility and he did a fantastic job, guiding the team to the IPL championship in his debut season as captain. Hardik Pandya continued his all-round brilliance and led his team to the final in the next season as well.

Looking at his success as a leader in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the BCCI made him a part of the leadership group of the India National Cricket Team as well.

Despite enjoying a healthy amount of success at Gujarat Titans (GT) along with head coach Ashish Nehra, Hardik Pandya demanded the franchise to trade him back to MI. Also, Gujarat Titans accepted his proposal without convincing him much to stay, as per Ashish Nehra.

As Hardik Pandya joined Mumbai Indians (MI), the expectations among fans were that he would play under the leadership of Rohit Sharma. However, the 5-time champions shocked everyone by naming Hardik Pandya as the new captain of the franchise. Since Pandya’s leadership takeover at MI, there have been rumors of unrest inside the team and fans have also slammed the franchise for removing Rohit Sharma from captaincy.

The new captain will need to command respect and not demand respect – Aakash Chopra on Hardik Pandya

Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said that the all-rounder Hardik Pandya needs to command respect as a leader of the star-studded Mumbai Indians (MI) line-up. The former India cricketer was also doubtful whether the Mumbai Indians players would respect Hardik after his appointment as captain. He said:

“I understand the thought process behind going for a new captain and you got a great asset in a quality pace bowling all-rounder. But he will have to earn that respect from his peers.

“Will they play with the same intensity for Hardik Pandya as they did for Rohit? They will play for MI but the new captain will need to command respect and not demand respect.”

Aakash Chopra further said that the Mumbai Indians (MI) have struggled in the last few seasons but they know how to win crunch situations. He said:

“The past couple of seasons haven’t been great for them. However, if you bring them into a situation where they have to close games, they can certainly do that.

“Winning is in their DNA. You put them in a corner with a make-or-break situation, this team makes it while many break it.”

Mumbai Indians (MI) will open their IPL 2024 campaign against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Sunday, March 24, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.