Former legendary batman of South Africa and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter, AB de Villiers, is eager to witness Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya unleash his bowling prowess in the upcoming IPL 2024 season.
Ahead of the upcoming 17th edition of the IPL, Mumbai Indians made headlines by signing Hardik Pandya for an undisclosed fee. Notably, Pandya, the former skipper of Gujarat Titans, was entrusted with the leadership role, replacing the iconic Rohit Sharma. Sharma had steered the Mumbai-based franchise to five IPL titles.
The Mumbai Indians have kicked off their preparations for the new season with a fresh perspective and a change in leadership. With Pandya at the helm, there’s a sense of optimism and anticipation within the team. He now shoulders the responsibility of continuing the remarkable legacy established by Sharma over the past decade. Pandya’s leadership will be crucial, and he aims to lead by example, showcasing his versatile skills both with the bat and the ball, much like he did during his tenure with the Gujarat Titans.
AB de Villiers, the former Royal Challengers Bangalore cricketer, recently spoke out about what he termed as a ‘big controversy’. He expressed his eagerness to witness Hardik Pandya return to the field.
“Incredibly successful team of the IPL. They have won five titles. Big controversy over the last few months was that Hardik Pandya coming in as new captain in place of Rohit Sharma. They seem to be happy though. They seemed to have moved on. It’s great to have Hardik Pandya in blue at his home team Mumbai Indians. They will be starting against Gujarat Titans, how ironic is that,” De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
“Hardik Pandya – they needed him to come back; otherwise, the balance just didn’t look as strong. I think Hardik is going to play a huge role. Hopefully, he will be able to hold the ball in hand and be the all-rounder that Mumbai Indians need him to be,” he added.
AB de Villiers praised Jasprit Bumrah, the key bowler for Mumbai Indians, and expressed his anticipation for Bumrah’s return in IPL 2024.
“I am looking forward to watch him bowl. We’ve missed him in the IPL, now he’s back in full flight. We’ve watched him perform for India in the Test matches, he was simply outstanding. When the heat is on, you want Jasprit Bumrah in your team. He comes through for you 9/10 times, he makes it work, he gets the big wickets,” de Villiers said.
It’s worth noting that Mumbai Indians will kick off their campaign at Narendra Modi Stadium on March 23. Ahead of this, most players have gathered at the Wankhede Stadium. Rohit Sharma joined the team on March 13, while Jasprit Bumrah is yet to join. Additionally, Suryakumar Yadav will miss the first few matches of the season.
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