MI Vs CSK, IPL 2024: Legendary cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Kevin Pietersen have heavily criticised the captaincy and game understanding of underfire Mumbai Indians captain, Hardik Pandya. Amongst the current panel of experts on Star Sports Network for the coverage of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, the duo labelled Hardik Pandya's captaincy as 'ordinary' and that the decision making of the Indian all-rounder is absolutely baffling and shocking.
"One six fine, the next one again a length ball when you know that the batter is looking for a length ball to hit third one again a full toss on the leg side when he’s looking to hit for a six, oh..!! Absolutely ordinary bowling, ordinary captaincy. I mean, they should have been restricted to, despite the fact that Ruturaj Gaikwad had batted so well alongside Shivam Dube, I do believe they should have been restricted to 185 or 190,” said Sunil Gavaskar during an on-air show on the Star Sports Network.
“But I saw that this evening wasn't good enough. I saw a captain that had Plan A from team meeting that was 5 hours ago, and a captain that didn’t wanna go to Plan B when he should’ve gone for Plan B. But how on earth, have you not bowled a spinner, when your seamers are going for 20 (20 runs off an over). Like in the commentary, Brian Lara was speaking that there spinners that can bowl, somebody needs to bowl it here. You need to change the pace of the game,” said Kevin Pietersen, pointing out the lack of intelligent decision making by Hardik Pandya.
Kevin Pietersen Provides His Inputs And Experiences On Mental Strength Of A Cricketer In A Firing Line
Former English cricketer Kevin Pietersen has called the current relationship of Hardik Pandya and Indians fans is not good and that the reaction from fans is affecting the Indian all-rounder's game overall.
“And I think actually the thing with Hardik Pandya, everything away from the game is affecting him so much. He’s smiling too much when he’s at the toss, he acts like he’s so happy, he’s NOT HAPPY, I feel that, I’ve been there. Brother I’ve been in the firing line…. proper, he knows that I’ve been in the firing line (pointing towards Sunil Gavaskar), you know that I’ve been in the firing line (pointing towards anchor, Mayanti Langer Binny). I have been in the firing line and I can tell you that now that it affects you," said Kevin Pietersen.
"It was happening to Hardik Pandya, the boo’s that we have been just hearing now and how happy they are to see the CSK former captain, the lion (MS Dhoni) smacking him all over the park, it hurts you, because he has emotion, and he’s an Indian player, and he doesn’t want to be treated like this, so when this is happening, it is affecting him, it is affecting his cricket, and something needs to happen,” he added.