Hardik Pandya has been making headlines over the last month as the IPL 2027 retention deadline nears. On Wednesday, Pandya was roped in by Punjab Kings from Mumbai Indians, while Arshdeep Singh moved the other way. Pandya was the captain of Mumbai Indians for three seasons. In two of those (2024 and 2026), the five-time champions failed to qualify for the playoffs. Pandya had earlier played for Mumbai Indians from 2015 to 2021 before moving to Gujarat Titans. He led the team to a title and a runners-up finish. His second stint with MI was forgettable.
Former India star Mohammad Kaif believes Pandya’s “emotional call” to leave GT was a “blunder”.
“It was a blunder by Hardik to leave GT. I think it was an emotional call. He had a connection with MI, and maybe that drew him back. It is always a tough call. You made GT champions and were the king there. But that decision hurt him. He went backwards in his performance and captaincy. It would be better for him to forget the second part with MI as soon as he can and move forward,” the former India batter said in a video on his YouTube channel.
At Punjab Kings, Pandya, an IPL-winning captain, will play under team skipper Shreyas Iyer. Kaif says it will help him.
“Many players want captaincy. But a lot of them do not perform well under the pressure of captaincy. It is not everybody’s cup of tea. It is even more difficult in the IPL. It will be good for Hardik that he is not the captain. At PBKS, he should look to regain his form as a batter, a bowler and a finisher. There is no doubt that he is a great player. So, it is good that he is not the captain. He can focus on his game. Being an all-rounder and a captain is all the more difficult,” the former India batter said.
PBKS co-owner Ness Wadia has also said that Pandya’s role as a player will bring the best out of him.
“As you’ve seen from Hardik’s post today, it’s very clear: ‘Shreyas is my captain, Ricky is my coach and Punjab is the team I play for.’ Hardik knows that and we know that. He brings tremendous leadership value and experience, and that’s what he’s here to contribute. In some ways, not being the captain may actually help him. It could take a significant burden off his shoulders and allow him to focus fully on his game,” Wadia told NDTV.
“I think he’ll add a lot of value to us, to Shreyas on the field and to Ricky Ponting off the field. It’s also important to remember that Hardik worked with Ricky early in his career. He has immense respect for him, almost as a father figure and guiding force.”
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