The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season for the Mumbai Indians (MI) has gone from bad to worse. After their latest defeat to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), making it their 9th loss of the season, former South African cricketer AB de Villiers has added fuel to the fire with his comments on the captaincy style of Hardik Pandya.
AB De Villiers, speaking on his YouTube channel, wasn’t shy about criticizing Pandya’s leadership style. He described it as being too reliant on bravado and ego, suggesting it lacked genuineness. De Villiers even compared Pandya’s on-field demeanor to MS Dhoni’s calm and collected approach, hinting that Pandya’s style might not be convincing.
AB De Villiers takes on the captaincy style of Hardik Pandya
“The captaincy style of Hardik Pandya is quite bravado. It’s ego-driven in a way, chest out. I don’t think how he walks on the field is always genuine, but he has decided that is his way of captaincy. Almost like MS (Dhoni). Cool, calm, collective, always got your chest out,” AB De Villiers said.
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The former South African batsman went on to emphasize the importance of a captain being real, especially when managing a team full of experienced players. He shared his experience playing under Graeme Smith’s captaincy, highlighting Smith’s selfless and supportive leadership as a good example. De Villiers suggested that Pandya’s more assertive style might not resonate with all the seasoned players in the MI squad.
“When you play with a lot of experienced players, guys who have been around for ages, they don’t buy into that. It worked at GT, where it was a younger team. Sometimes, inexperienced players love to follow that kind of leadership,” de Villiers stated.
The legendary batsmen even mentioned specific players, like Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, implying they might not be responding well to Pandya’s leadership. He suggested that these senior players might prefer a calmer captain who focuses on strategy and avoids unnecessary aggression.
AB de Villiers " The captaincy style of Hardik Pandya is quite bravado. It’s ego-driven in a way,chest out.But when you play with a lot of experienced guys who have been around for ages.They don’t buy into that. It worked at GT,where it was a young team."pic.twitter.com/Hk5og2VKQ7
— Sujeet Suman (@sujeetsuman1991) May 10, 2024
“Now, there’s Rohit (Sharma), there’s (Jasprit) Bumrah. They go like, ‘All we need you to be is calm. Give us a bit of input on how to win matches. We don’t need the bravado’,” de Villiers added.
AB De Villiers liks Hardik Pandya
Despite his criticism, AB De Villiers clarified that he respects Pandya’s cricketing abilities and his overall approach to the game. He says that while Pandya’s leadership style might not be for everyone, it likely reflects his own beliefs and motivations. De Villiers even admitted to using a similar strategy of projecting confidence on the field during his playing days.
“I’m not having a go at Hardik. I love watching him play. I love him putting out his chest because I was like that,” de Villiers concluded. “I believed that as a batter, sometimes, you’ve got to fake it to make it.”
AB de Villiers’ comments have sparked a major debate amongst cricket fans and analysts. If the decision to remove Rohit Sharma from captaincy and handing it to the Hardik Pandya was a good decision for MI? Only time will tell if Pandya can turn things around for MI and silence his critics.
