Former India cricket team fast bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji sees Hardik Pandya replacing Rohit Shah ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 After Rohit Sharma, it took time to become the captain of Mumbai Indians. Hardik ended Rohit’s ten-year tenure as MI captain after completing a huge trade move with the Gujarat Titans. Fans and some experts are divided over the decision, but Balaji is confident Hardik is capable enough to shoulder the new responsibility. However, he also pointed out that the new captain may end up facing major problems if the team starts losing games.

“This has been going on for a while and it’s definitely not something you normally see, a lot of friendships happen, players go to different teams and yes, it’s one of those cases but in the professional world you have to accept that This is on the one hand emotional and on the other hand a very important thing when you replace a figure like Rohit Sharma who was already a great player in the Mumbai Indians side An extraordinary achiever. It will definitely take some time and everything will work out.”

“You have to win over your own players, so for Hardik to win over the entire dressing room is very important as a player and as a person, so trust definitely needs to be earned and that takes some time to adapt and accept, I” I’m sure he’s good enough and professional enough that he’ll accept that and with a young team around him, when they start winning, the mood will be different. If they start losing, then you have a problem to deal with. So slowly things will catch on, he said on “Star Sports”: “It’s better to have a friend on the winning side than a friend on the losing side.”

Former Indian cricket team all-rounder Irfan Pathan vs Hardik Pandya after Mumbai Indians lost to Gujarat Titans in first match of IPL 2024 Extremely critical.

This was Hardik’s first match as MI captain and Pathan feels he made a few big mistakes that ultimately cost his team the match.

Hardik opened the bowling for his team, which ended up conceding 20 runs in the first over. Pathan feels he should have gone for an experienced asset like Jasprit Bumrah.