Mumbai: Mumbai Indians, the most successful team in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), is facing a major setback as their newly appointed captain Hardik Pandya may miss the upcoming season due to an injury. Pandya, who was also ruled out of the World Cup 2023, has not recovered fully and his availability for IPL 2024 is uncertain.
According to sources from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), “There is no update on Hardik’s return to cricket. In such a situation, there is a big question mark on his availability in IPL 2024 also.” Pandya, who is an explosive all-rounder, was named as the captain of Mumbai Indians in a surprise move, replacing Rohit Sharma, who had led the team to five titles in the last 10 years.
Mumbai Indians had also made some changes in their squad for IPL 2024, trading in Hardik’s brother Krunal Pandya from Gujarat Titans and signing some new players like Gerald Coetzee, Dilshan Madushanka, Shreyas Gopal, Naman Dheer, Anshul Kamboj, Nuwan Thushara, Mohammad Nabi, and Shivalik Sharma. The team also retained some of their key players like Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tim David.
However, with Hardik’s injury, the team may have to look for a new captain and a new balance in their playing XI. Romario Shepherd, who was the vice-captain of the team, may take over the leadership role, but he may not be able to fill the void left by Hardik’s batting and bowling skills. Mumbai Indians will have to find a way to cope with this challenge and defend their title in IPL 2024, which is scheduled to start on April 5, 2024.
