Ex-India star Harbhajan Singh gave his thoughts on Hardik Pandya struggling with the Mumbai Indians, saying he wasn’t a “free man”.
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Expect a ‘different’ Pandya
Pandya’s IPL season this year was forgettable, to say the least.
Aside from MI finishing last in the points table, the 31-year-old endured vitriol from the fans whenever he took the field.
However, Singh expects Pandya to be a different beast in the upcoming T20 showpiece.
“When he wears that blue jersey, he will be a different Hardik Pandya because we know he can score those runs and take those wickets. I want Hardik to come good as he has gone through a lot and I wish him all the very best to have a very good tournament for India,” Harbhajan told PTI in an exclusive interview.
“If he has a good tournament, obviously India will have a great chance to go forward.”
“Yes, his form is a bit of a concern…and lot of other stuff was going on around him, his shifting from Gujarat to Mumbai, was a big change and the team (MI) didn’t react too well to Hardik coming back and that too as captain,” he added.
Pandya not a ‘free man’
The jeers stem from the decision to replace Rohit Sharma, a long-serving captain, with Pandya as the new team leader for MI.
Sharma will now assume the captaincy role for India, with Pandya as his deputy in the World Cup starting June 1.
“Winning a World Cup is a bigger achievement than winning an IPL trophy,” Singh said. “So I would urge the management to bring everyone together, have them on one page and make sure they play like one.”
“I believe it’s the responsibility of the management to come together and win together. Even if they lose they should be losing together.”
