Former South African captain and Royal Challengers Bangalore star batter AB de Villiers commented on Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya's leadership style in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
On his YouTube channel, de Villiers suggested that Pandya's "bravado" leadership style could be a factor in Mumbai's struggles. He added that this approach might not resonate with experienced players. "Hardik Pandya's captaincy style is quite bravado," de Villiers said. "It's ego-driven in a way. When you play with a lot of experienced players who've been around for ages, they don't necessarily buy into that."
Read Also | IPL 2024 Playoffs Qualification Scenarios Explained: MI and PBKS Eliminated, Race Intensifies for Remaining Eight Teams
However, de Villiers acknowledged that Pandya's captaincy worked well with the Gujarat Titans, which he led to consecutive IPL finals in 2022 and 2023, winning the latter "It (Hardik Pandya's captaincy) worked at Gujarat Titans, where it was a younger team," de Villiers said. "Sometimes, inexperienced players love to follow that kind of leadership."
Pandya's captaincy has been under scrutiny after Mumbai became the first team eliminated from playoff contention in IPL 2024. He replaced five-time IPL-winning captain Rohit Sharma ahead of the season and endured a disappointing campaign. Reports also emerged after Mumbai's elimination that senior players were unhappy with Pandya's captaincy. Under Pandya's leadership, Mumbai Indians are currently seventh in the IPL standings with four wins in 12 matches.
