“Sin comentarios”: Hardik Pandya gana a los fanáticos de M Back & Sunel Gavaskar

Hardik Pandya’s journey from being booed at his home ground to receiving thunderous applause at the Wankhede Stadium has been nothing short of a volte-face. In IPL 2024, after replacing Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indians (MI) captain, Pandya faced hostility from fans disillusioned by the sudden leadership shift. But in IPL 2025, with MI currently placed fourth and pushing hard for a playoff spot, the tide has turned.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar highlighted the redemption during a recent appearance on Star Sports, acknowledging how Pandya has gradually won back the trust of the Mumbai crowd. While Gavaskar didn’t mention it, Pandya’s X-factor as an India player played a part too. He was a crucial figure in both the ICC trophy wins (Champions Trophy & T20 World Cup), thus winning the hearts not only of MI fans but of the entire nation.

What did Gavaskar say about Hardik Pandya?

“What we saw from last year to this year has been the fact that he also got the support of the crowd backing him. Last year, he would have been a little bit unsettled by the fact that the Mumbai crowd and the Mumbai supporters were not really backing him so much. But this year, they are all behind him. And they are all urging him to go on to win. They have got one game at home on the 21st,” said Sunil Gavaskar.

What has set Pandya apart this season, Gavaskar noted, is his composure. Despite the pressure, the 30-year-old has shown maturity in handling his team and responding to tough moments on the field.

“That is where we will see how they come back. And the way they have come back, we are talking about his thinking and we are talking about how his calming influence is. That is because he has not shown any emotions on the field. When there has been a misfield, when there has been a drop catch, he has just turned on his back and he has gone back to his fielding position.”

“A lot of times, when the captain has a little bit of gesticulation, then the fielder also gets a little bit nervous. But he hasn’t done that. And so that’s the reason why Mumbai have come back so well. They normally do that. And once again, this year, I am hoping, as a Mumbai Indians fan, that they will continue to go on to win,” he added.

Hardik Pandya – IPL 2024 vs IPL 2024

Metric	IPL 2024	IPL 2025
Matches	14	11
Runs	216	158
Batting Av/SR	18.00/143.04	26.33/168.08
Wickets	11	13
Bowling Av/SR	35.18/19.6	19.76/12.9