Mumbai Indians' Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign this year was marked by controversies and underwhelming performances. Their decision to appoint star all-rounder Hardik Pandya as captain, replacing Rohit Sharma, faced a lot of criticism. The move came under fire as the franchise ended the 2024 season at the bottom of the points table.
Given the disappointing season and the controversies surrounding Hardik Pandya's captaincy, fans have been speculating whether Mumbai Indians will retain him for the 2025 IPL season.
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Despite the challenges, here are the top three reasons why the five-time IPL champions might choose to hold on to their star player for IPL 2025.
Reason 1: Despite a challenging 2024 season, Hardik Pandya’s overall IPL captaincy record remains impressive. He has a winning ratio of 66.66%, with 22 wins in 33 matches as captain. In his debut season as skipper for Gujarat, he led them to a title win, and in his second season, he guided them to the finals.
Reason 2: To bring Hardik Pandya on board, Mumbai Indians made bold decisions, including asking Rohit Sharma to step down as captain and letting go of Cameron Green to secure Pandya from Gujarat. Given Hardik's impressive captaincy record in the IPL and the significant changes the franchise made to acquire him, it’s highly likely that MI will give him at least one chance at redemption.
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Reason 3: In his most recent T20I appearance during the T20 World Cup 2024, Hardik Pandya excelled both as a batter and a bowler, with his final over in the World Cup final against South Africa being particularly memorable. Given his current form and established legacy as one of the world’s best all-rounders, it would be challenging for any franchise to let him go. Pandya has played 125 IPL matches, scoring 2,344 runs with 10 half-centuries, and has taken 54 wickets with the ball.