The captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI), Hardik Pandya, acknowledged that his disappointing 2024 IPL season was more about surviving than winning. Following a two-year spell with the Gujarat Titans (GT), Hardik was traded back to MI prior to the 2024 season.
Things have been chaotic since he was appointed MI captain, replacing the veteran leader Rohit Sharma. Even during MI’s away games across the nation, Hardik was booed by his home fans at Wankhede Stadium.
The 31-year-old had a turbulent season, averaging just 18 runs at bat and giving up runs at an economy rate of nearly 11 with the ball. Despite having a quality team, MI ended up at the bottom of the standings with just four victories in 14 games.
In the lead-up to the 2025 Indian Premier League, Hardik told JioStar (via Hindustan Times) on the 2024 season:
“It’s always about when you don’t leave the battlefield. For me, it was about surviving, maybe not winning. That year was a year where, for the longest time, I had to hold my ground, not leave the battlefield which was the ground. I realised how everything was panning out, that cricket will be my best friend, and he will get me out of it.”
Hardik Pandya
He added:
“Yeah, it kept, I kept pushing, kept pushing. And I think when all the hard work and everything came, I don’t think I wouldn’t be able to write a script, which it turned out to be in my life. That six months of my phase where winning the World Cup and coming back and getting the kind of love we got. I think it was a complete 360 turnaround for me.
Hardik Pandya
“And I think cricket was something which I knew that if I be persistent, if I be honest with my work, if I be really hardworking, I think I’ll be able to come out of this. But when I didn’t know, as exactly said, it was written in the script by the God where it turned out to be two and a half months.”
Hardik Pandya
Hardik’s crucial role in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup victory helped turn things around just months after his disappointing IPL 2024 season. Additionally, the team’s recent Champions Trophy title run was greatly aided by the standout all-round player.
“The goal was to get experience” – Hardik Pandya
According to Hardik Pandya, the team’s goal at the 2025 IPL auction was to put together a skilled bowling attack for the forthcoming campaign. In addition to adding IPL veterans Mitchell Santner and Deepak Chahar to their lineup, MI brought back New Zealand pacer Trent Boult.
“This year, the goal was to get experience. I think you can see from the whole sheet where we wanted experienced bowling attack. Because Wankhede is where you get checked, and it can be quite intimidating playing in IPL in Mumbai, in Wankhede.”
Hardik Pandya
He continued:
“And the wickets are generally high-scoring. So we wanted to focus on people who have a lot of experience at the same point of time, who have the swing, who have the bounce on that track, which we can get the most out of. And I think somehow we have, we have made a very gun team where top to bottom we have been able to fulfill. It’s just that we all have to turn up now.”
Hardik Pandya
On March 23, MI’s IPL 2025 campaign will get off in Chennai with a much-anticipated matchup against bitter rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
