<p>Suryakumar Yadav is all set to be named India's T20I skipper and not Hardik Pandya for the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. The news was reported by cricket news website ESPNCricinfo late&nbsp;on Tuesday (Jul 16).</p>

<p>Hardik was Rohit Sharma's deputy at the recently concluded T20 World Cup following which Rohit announced his retirement from the shortest format along with Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja.</p>

<p>Hardik, who is a more experienced captain than Surya, lost out on captaincy due to his fitness-related issues, reported ESPNCricinfo.</p>

<p>The all-rounder has captained India in three ODIs and 16 T20Is to go with a two-year stint as Gujarat Titans skipper in the Indian Premier League (IPL) apart from leading Mumbai Indians in the 2024 IPL season.</p>

<p>Most recently, Hardik suffered an ankle injury in the ODI World Cup 2023 during the match against Bangladesh and returned to the national side only in the T20 World Cup. He, however, played a full season with Mumbai Indians as skipper.</p>

<p>Surya, on the other hand, was India's skipper during the 4-1 T20I series win against Australia following the ODI World Cup 2023 and in the 1-1 drawn series against South Africa thereafter.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/shubman-gill-got-t20i-captaincy-over-ruturaj-gaikwad-because-of-rahul-dravids-liking-amit-mishra-reveals-741422">Shubman Gill got T20I captaincy over Ruturaj Gaikwad because of Rahul Dravid's liking? Amit Mishra reveals</a></p>

<p>Rohit then returned to lead India in a three-T20I series against Afghanistan in January earlier this year.</p>

<p>Surya has also led Mumbai in the domestic circuit too and is a first-choice name in India's T20I side after Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja's departure.</p>

<p>The tour of Sri Lanka where India will play three T20Is on July 27, 28 and 30 to go with three ODIs on August 2, 4 and 7 will also be new head coach Gautam Gambhir's first assignment.</p>

<p>Gambhir took over from Rahul Dravid after India's T20 World Cup glory. The former Indian opener has coaching experience in IPL and had led Kolkata Knight Riders to the title in the 2024 season as a mentor.</p>


Suryakumar Yadav is all set to be named India's T20I skipper and not Hardik Pandya for the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. The news was reported by cricket news website ESPNCricinfo late on Tuesday (Jul 16).

Suryakumar Yadav is all set to be named India's T20I skipper and not Hardik Pandya for the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. The news was reported by cricket news website ESPNCricinfo late on Tuesday (Jul 16). Hardik was Rohit Sharma's deputy at the recently concluded T20 World Cup following which Rohit announced his retirement from the shortest format along with Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja. Hardik, who is a more experienced captain than Surya, lost out on captaincy due to his fitness-related issues, reported ESPNCricinfo. The all-rounder has captained India in three ODIs and 16 T20Is to go with a two-year stint as Gujarat Titans skipper in the Indian Premier League (IPL) apart from leading Mumbai Indians in the 2024 IPL season. Most recently, Hardik suffered an ankle injury in the ODI World Cup 2023 during the match against Bangladesh and returned to the national side only in the T20 World Cup. He, however, played a full season with Mumbai Indians as skipper. Surya, on the other hand, was India's skipper during the 4-1 T20I series win against Australia following the ODI World Cup 2023 and in the 1-1 drawn series against South Africa thereafter. Also Read: Shubman Gill got T20I captaincy over Ruturaj Gaikwad because of Rahul Dravid's liking? Amit Mishra reveals Rohit then returned to lead India in a three-T20I series against Afghanistan in January earlier this year. Surya has also led Mumbai in the domestic circuit too and is a first-choice name in India's T20I side after Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja's departure. The tour of Sri Lanka where India will play three T20Is on July 27, 28 and 30 to go with three ODIs on August 2, 4 and 7 will also be new head coach Gautam Gambhir's first assignment. Gambhir took over from Rahul Dravid after India's T20 World Cup glory. The former Indian opener has coaching experience in IPL and had led Kolkata Knight Riders to the title in the 2024 season as a mentor.

Suryakumar Yadav set to become India's T20I captain instead of Hardik Pandya for Sri Lanka tour

<p>India all-rounder Hardik Pandya and wife Natasa Stankovic's divorce rumours are doing rounds in media reports for long. To add to the noise, Natasa recently posted an 'ambiguous' social media post as well.</p>

<p>The model wife of Indian all-rounder posted a couple of pictures on Instagram story of her packing bags and in a car with caption "It's that time of the year," along with a plane and house emoticon. The story is no longer visible.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bcci-rejects-all-gautam-gambhir-suggestions-for-support-staff-roles-except-one-741769">&nbsp;BCCI rejects all of Gautam Gambhir’s suggestions for support staff roles except one</a></p>

<p>She was later spotted at the airport with son Agastya and Hardik nowhere around. It is possible that she's travelling to her home country Serbia with son.</p>

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<p>The netizens, however, are speculating again that the couple could be getting separated or divorced after what has transpired in last couple of months.</p>

<p>Hardik also has requested to not be considered for the ODI leg of the upcoming Sri Lanka tour due to 'personal reasons.'</p>

<p>The all-rounder, who was Rohit Sharma's deputy at the recently-concluded T20 World Cup 2024, may also get snubbed for the T20I captain role as well.</p>

<p>Suryakumar Yadav, meanwhile, is all set to be named India's T20I skipper over Hardik Pandya for the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hardik, who is a more experienced captain than Surya, lost out on captaincy due to his fitness-related issues, reported ESPNCricinfo.</p>

<p>The all-rounder has captained India in three ODIs and 16 T20Is to go with a two-year stint as Gujarat Titans skipper in the Indian Premier League (IPL) apart from leading Mumbai Indians in the 2024 IPL season.</p>


India all-rounder Hardik Pandya and wife Natasa Stankovic's divorce rumours are doing rounds in media reports for long. To add to the noise, Natasa recently posted an 'ambiguous' social media post as well.

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya and wife Natasa Stankovic's divorce rumours are doing rounds in media reports for long. To add to the noise, Natasa recently posted an 'ambiguous' social media post as well. The model wife of Indian all-rounder posted a couple of pictures on Instagram story of her packing bags and in a car with caption "It's that time of the year," along with a plane and house emoticon. The story is no longer visible. Also Read: BCCI rejects all of Gautam Gambhir’s suggestions for support staff roles except one She was later spotted at the airport with son Agastya and Hardik nowhere around. It is possible that she's travelling to her home country Serbia with son. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani) × The netizens, however, are speculating again that the couple could be getting separated or divorced after what has transpired in last couple of months. Hardik also has requested to not be considered for the ODI leg of the upcoming Sri Lanka tour due to 'personal reasons.' The all-rounder, who was Rohit Sharma's deputy at the recently-concluded T20 World Cup 2024, may also get snubbed for the T20I captain role as well. Suryakumar Yadav, meanwhile, is all set to be named India's T20I skipper over Hardik Pandya for the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. Hardik, who is a more experienced captain than Surya, lost out on captaincy due to his fitness-related issues, reported ESPNCricinfo. The all-rounder has captained India in three ODIs and 16 T20Is to go with a two-year stint as Gujarat Titans skipper in the Indian Premier League (IPL) apart from leading Mumbai Indians in the 2024 IPL season.

Hardik Pandya-Natasa Stankovic divorce rumours latest news: Cricketer's wife leaving India with son? Read Here

<p>India head coach Gautam Gambhir and BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar have spoken to Hardik Pandya and informed the all-rounder about the last-minute change in T20I captaincy as Suryakumar Yadav is set to become the new skipper, as per reports. According to news agency PTI, Gambhir and Agarkar had a word with Hardik -- who has served as India's stand-in captain in the recent past and was also the vice-captain during the 2024 T20 World Cup --&nbsp;that they are looking for a full-time captain, keeping in view with 2026 T20 World Cup. It is understood that&nbsp;Surya is being preferred&nbsp;over&nbsp;the all-rounder for the latter's frequent&nbsp;fitness concerns, along with a&nbsp;poor run as Mumbai Indians (MI) captain in IPL 2024.</p>

<p>A senior BCCI source told PTI on the condition&nbsp;of anonymity,&nbsp;"Hardik Pandya was India's T20 vice-captain under Rohit Sharma. He is completely fit and available for the three-match T20I series and was supposed to lead the side but there is a very strong feeling that SKY would be the potential leader not only for the Sri Lanka series but till the 2026 World Cup."</p>

<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ravindra-jadeja-pays-emotional-tribute-to-late-mother-with-heartfelt-t20-wc-sketch-check-post-741620">Ravindra Jadeja pays emotional tribute to late mother with heartfelt T20 WC sketch - Check post</a></strong></p>

<p>The need to look for a new T20I captain came following Rohit Sharma's retirement&nbsp;after India's historic 2024 T20 WC triumph in the West Indies and the USA. Even Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirement from T20Is along with Rohit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After Hardik, Surya's name cropped up who has led Mumbai in the domestic circuit in the past. In addition, the swashbuckling batter&nbsp;was also in charge of the Indian team for the home T20Is versus Australia and away series in South Africa,&nbsp;in late 2023.</p>

<p>At present, India is gearing up for the&nbsp;tour of Sri Lanka later this month, starting on July 27.&nbsp;The tour will kick off with three T20Is followed by an equal number of ODIs. The BCCI official has further confirmed that&nbsp;Hardik has asked for leave for the upcoming three ODIs&nbsp;in the island nation, citing personal reasons.</p>

<p>Moreover, if&nbsp;Rohit is unavailable for the ODI leg, KL Rahul might lead India whereas Surya can be given the reins of the T20I team, not only for the SL tour&nbsp;but on a permanent basis until the next T20&nbsp;WC. The right-hander is India's third-highest run-getter in T20Is, with 2,340 runs in only 68 games at a strike rate of&nbsp;167.74 along with four 100s.</p>


India head coach Gautam Gambhir and BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar have spoken to Hardik Pandya and informed the all-rounder about the last-minute change in T20I captaincy as Suryakumar Yadav is set to become the new skipper, as per reports.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir and BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar have spoken to Hardik Pandya and informed the all-rounder about the last-minute change in T20I captaincy as Suryakumar Yadav is set to become the new skipper, as per reports. According to news agency PTI, Gambhir and Agarkar had a word with Hardik -- who has served as India's stand-in captain in the recent past and was also the vice-captain during the 2024 T20 World Cup -- that they are looking for a full-time captain, keeping in view with 2026 T20 World Cup. It is understood that Surya is being preferred over the all-rounder for the latter's frequent fitness concerns, along with a poor run as Mumbai Indians (MI) captain in IPL 2024. A senior BCCI source told PTI on the condition of anonymity, "Hardik Pandya was India's T20 vice-captain under Rohit Sharma. He is completely fit and available for the three-match T20I series and was supposed to lead the side but there is a very strong feeling that SKY would be the potential leader not only for the Sri Lanka series but till the 2026 World Cup." Also read: Ravindra Jadeja pays emotional tribute to late mother with heartfelt T20 WC sketch - Check post The need to look for a new T20I captain came following Rohit Sharma's retirement after India's historic 2024 T20 WC triumph in the West Indies and the USA. Even Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirement from T20Is along with Rohit. After Hardik, Surya's name cropped up who has led Mumbai in the domestic circuit in the past. In addition, the swashbuckling batter was also in charge of the Indian team for the home T20Is versus Australia and away series in South Africa, in late 2023. At present, India is gearing up for the tour of Sri Lanka later this month, starting on July 27. The tour will kick off with three T20Is followed by an equal number of ODIs. The BCCI official has further confirmed that Hardik has asked for leave for the upcoming three ODIs in the island nation, citing personal reasons. Moreover, if Rohit is unavailable for the ODI leg, KL Rahul might lead India whereas Surya can be given the reins of the T20I team, not only for the SL tour but on a permanent basis until the next T20 WC. The right-hander is India's third-highest run-getter in T20Is, with 2,340 runs in only 68 games at a strike rate of 167.74 along with four 100s.

Gambhir, Agarkar inform Hardik about last-minute captaincy change as Surya to be India's T20I captain: Report

<p>Former Indian stumper Saba Karim suggested two names who could be&nbsp;India's next T20I captain. After India won the 2024 T20 World Cup, held in West Indies and the USA, captain Rohit Sharma announced his retirement, along with Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, from the shortest format. Thus, India have now embarked upon a new era post Rohit's retirement. With India set to kickoff their white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, from July 27 under new head coach Gautam Gambhir, there are chances that the BCCI will announce India's new permanent T20I skipper.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With many names being considered, Karim named Hardik Pandya -- who acted as Rohit's deputy in the last two World Cups (both ODI and T20I) -- and Suryakumar Yadav as his top-two choices.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>'Logically, Hardik Pandya should become the captain'</strong></h2>

<p>Talking on Sony Sports, the former Indian stumper said, "The first thing that needs to be decided is who will captain in T20Is. Rohit Sharma has retired, he won't play T20Is. So you will have a new captain. I feel there are two contenders. If we see logically, Hardik Pandya should become the captain because he was the vice-captain in the winning World Cup campaign. He also captained India in the past. I feel the preparation now should be for the next T20 World Cup which is going to happen after two years."</p>

<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://wionews.com/cricket/all-over-for-warner-australian-opener-wont-be-considered-for-champions-trophy-2025-confirms-bailey-741025">All over for Warner! Australian opener won't be considered for Champions Trophy 2025, confirms Bailey</a></strong></p>

<p>He further opined, "I feel the discussion should be about SKY because Suryakumar Yadav captained India in the home series against Australia. India defeated Australia there and he also batted well. So he can definitely come forward as an option." Karim added, "If the selectors feel Hardik Pandya has played a fantastic role and can do the same as a captain as well, he can definitely be the ideal candidate. So I feel these are the two contenders."</p>

<p>A second-stringed Team India, under Shubman Gill, ended their five-match T20I series versus Zimbabwe, in the African nation, on Sunday (July 14). However, it seems highly unlikely that Gill's name will be in discussions, given he led in the absence of many senior players.</p>

<p>As Hardik has been Rohit's deputy in white-ball cricket since early 2023, it is likely that the all-rounder will take over in T20Is. He has led India in 16 T20Is, winning 10,&nbsp;during Rohit's sabbatical post 2022 T20 WC, which ended in early 2024. In addition, he had a good run in the 2024 T20 WC, managing&nbsp;144 runs and claiming 11 wickets.&nbsp;</p>


Former Indian stumper Saba Karim suggested two names who could be India's next T20I captain. After India won the 2024 T20 World Cup, held in West Indies and the USA, captain Rohit Sharma announced his retirement, along with Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, from the shortest format.

Former Indian stumper Saba Karim suggested two names who could be India's next T20I captain. After India won the 2024 T20 World Cup, held in West Indies and the USA, captain Rohit Sharma announced his retirement, along with Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, from the shortest format. Thus, India have now embarked upon a new era post Rohit's retirement. With India set to kickoff their white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, from July 27 under new head coach Gautam Gambhir, there are chances that the BCCI will announce India's new permanent T20I skipper. With many names being considered, Karim named Hardik Pandya -- who acted as Rohit's deputy in the last two World Cups (both ODI and T20I) -- and Suryakumar Yadav as his top-two choices. 'Logically, Hardik Pandya should become the captain' Talking on Sony Sports, the former Indian stumper said, "The first thing that needs to be decided is who will captain in T20Is. Rohit Sharma has retired, he won't play T20Is. So you will have a new captain. I feel there are two contenders. If we see logically, Hardik Pandya should become the captain because he was the vice-captain in the winning World Cup campaign. He also captained India in the past. I feel the preparation now should be for the next T20 World Cup which is going to happen after two years." Also read: All over for Warner! Australian opener won't be considered for Champions Trophy 2025, confirms Bailey He further opined, "I feel the discussion should be about SKY because Suryakumar Yadav captained India in the home series against Australia. India defeated Australia there and he also batted well. So he can definitely come forward as an option." Karim added, "If the selectors feel Hardik Pandya has played a fantastic role and can do the same as a captain as well, he can definitely be the ideal candidate. So I feel these are the two contenders." A second-stringed Team India, under Shubman Gill, ended their five-match T20I series versus Zimbabwe, in the African nation, on Sunday (July 14). However, it seems highly unlikely that Gill's name will be in discussions, given he led in the absence of many senior players. As Hardik has been Rohit's deputy in white-ball cricket since early 2023, it is likely that the all-rounder will take over in T20Is. He has led India in 16 T20Is, winning 10, during Rohit's sabbatical post 2022 T20 WC, which ended in early 2024. In addition, he had a good run in the 2024 T20 WC, managing 144 runs and claiming 11 wickets.

Hardik, Surya, Bumrah? Who will be India's next T20I captain? Former Indian stumper suggests two names

<p>Hardik Pandya's wife Natasa Stankovic reacted to the divorce rumours recently on Instagram. With much noise regarding their alleged separation, the model-turned-actor shared her thoughts in a video, where she asked people to&nbsp;'be less judgmental and more empathetic'. There has been a lot written and said about Hardik-Natasa's relationship in the recent past with the latter being absent from stands during IPL 2024, where Hardik led Mumbai Indians (MI), and photos of the couple also disappearing from her social media profiles. Further, she was nowhere to be seen in Hardik's celebrations, with his family,&nbsp;post his return from India's triumphant T20 World Cup campaign.&nbsp;Finally, she has broken her silence and addressed the rumours indirectly.</p>

<p>On her Instagram story, Natasa shared a video where she addressed the divorce rumours indirectly and said, "I am sitting here and having my coffee, just had a random thought as people, how quick are we in judging."</p>

<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/india-tour-of-sl-kl-rahul-to-lead-in-odis-hardik-pandya-in-t20is-as-gautam-gambhir-era-kicks-off-report-739649">India tour of SL: KL Rahul to lead in ODIs, Hardik Pandya in T20Is as Gautam Gambhir era kicks off - Report</a></strong></p>

<p>She further mentioned, "If we see someone who is acting out of their character, we don’t slow down, we don’t observe, and we have no empathy. We straight jump into judging. "We don’t know what has happened, what is behind the whole thing, the whole act, the whole situation. So, let’s be less judgmental, observe more, have more empathy, and be patient with people,” Natasa added.</p>

<p>The couple tied the knot in mid-2020, however, their relationship has allegedly encountered troubled times.</p>

<p>Hardik, on the other hand, has remained mum regarding all the noise on his relationship with his wife. The all-rounder was part of Rohit Sharma-led India's 2024 T20 WC-winning campaign, which was held last month&nbsp;in West Indies and the USA. The 30-year-old played a crucial role in India's victory, returning with 144 runs and 11 scalps overall. In the final, where India beat South Africa by 7 runs in Barbados, the star all-rounder claimed a match-winning 3 for 20 to take his side to their second T20 WC triumph after 17 years.</p>


Hardik Pandya's wife Natasa Stankovic reacted to the divorce rumours recently on Instagram. With much noise regarding their alleged separation, the model-turned-actor shared her thoughts in a video, where she asked people to 'be less judgmental and more empathetic'.

Hardik Pandya's wife Natasa Stankovic reacted to the divorce rumours recently on Instagram. With much noise regarding their alleged separation, the model-turned-actor shared her thoughts in a video, where she asked people to 'be less judgmental and more empathetic'. There has been a lot written and said about Hardik-Natasa's relationship in the recent past with the latter being absent from stands during IPL 2024, where Hardik led Mumbai Indians (MI), and photos of the couple also disappearing from her social media profiles. Further, she was nowhere to be seen in Hardik's celebrations, with his family, post his return from India's triumphant T20 World Cup campaign. Finally, she has broken her silence and addressed the rumours indirectly. On her Instagram story, Natasa shared a video where she addressed the divorce rumours indirectly and said, "I am sitting here and having my coffee, just had a random thought as people, how quick are we in judging." Also read: India tour of SL: KL Rahul to lead in ODIs, Hardik Pandya in T20Is as Gautam Gambhir era kicks off - Report She further mentioned, "If we see someone who is acting out of their character, we don’t slow down, we don’t observe, and we have no empathy. We straight jump into judging. "We don’t know what has happened, what is behind the whole thing, the whole act, the whole situation. So, let’s be less judgmental, observe more, have more empathy, and be patient with people,” Natasa added. The couple tied the knot in mid-2020, however, their relationship has allegedly encountered troubled times. Hardik, on the other hand, has remained mum regarding all the noise on his relationship with his wife. The all-rounder was part of Rohit Sharma-led India's 2024 T20 WC-winning campaign, which was held last month in West Indies and the USA. The 30-year-old played a crucial role in India's victory, returning with 144 runs and 11 scalps overall. In the final, where India beat South Africa by 7 runs in Barbados, the star all-rounder claimed a match-winning 3 for 20 to take his side to their second T20 WC triumph after 17 years.

Hardik Pandya's wife Natasa Stankovic shuns down critics amid divorce rumours

<p>Gautam Gambhir's first-ever assignment as Team India head coach will be the forthcoming India tour of Sri Lanka, starting later this month. The selection of the team will take place later this week as India will play 3 ODIs and T20Is each in the Island nation. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from the shortest format, it is likely that Hardik Pandya, if not rested, will be named the captain whereas KL Rahul can lead the ODI side.</p>

<p>As per a report in India Today, Gambhir's first meeting with the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee is scheduled for later this week. It is understood that Gambhir is keen to have two different captains for the two formats. For ODIs in the upcoming Lankan tour, Rahul is being considered to take charge. The wicketkeeper-batter, who has been consistent for India at No.5 in ODIs, has captaincy experience in the shorter format. He led India to an ODI series win in South Africa last year.</p>

<p>Hardik, on the other hand, is likely to lead the Indian T20I side. He has led India in T20Is during Rohit Sharma's break and served as Hitman's deputy in the 2024 T20 World Cup, in West Indies and the USA.</p>

<p>"It is expected that in the absence of Rohit, Hardik and KL are the options to be given the responsibility of captain. Both have captained the team earlier," a top source in BCCI told India Today.</p>

<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/gambhir-backs-former-kkr-teammate-as-indias-bowling-coach-bcci-keen-to-rope-in-this-wc-winner-report-739596">Gambhir backs former KKR teammate as India's bowling coach, BCCI keen to rope in THIS WC winner: Report</a></strong></p>

<p>"If Hardik is not available for the T20Is, you might see Suryakumar Yadav as captain in T20Is and Rahul in ODIs. But for now, it seems that Hardik and KL will lead the team," the source further added.</p>

<p>After India's T20 WC triumph, in the recently-held 20-nation mega event, Rohit, Kohli and even Jasprit Bumrah are expected to be rested for the entire SL tour. India's tour commences on July 27 and will conclude on August 7. The trio of Rohit, Bumrah and Kohli are likely to be back before the commencement of India's home season in September.</p>


Gautam Gambhir's first-ever assignment as Team India head coach will be the forthcoming India tour of Sri Lanka, starting later this month. The selection of the team will take place later this week as India will play 3 ODIs and T20Is each in the Island nation.

Gautam Gambhir's first-ever assignment as Team India head coach will be the forthcoming India tour of Sri Lanka, starting later this month. The selection of the team will take place later this week as India will play 3 ODIs and T20Is each in the Island nation. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from the shortest format, it is likely that Hardik Pandya, if not rested, will be named the captain whereas KL Rahul can lead the ODI side. As per a report in India Today, Gambhir's first meeting with the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee is scheduled for later this week. It is understood that Gambhir is keen to have two different captains for the two formats. For ODIs in the upcoming Lankan tour, Rahul is being considered to take charge. The wicketkeeper-batter, who has been consistent for India at No.5 in ODIs, has captaincy experience in the shorter format. He led India to an ODI series win in South Africa last year. Hardik, on the other hand, is likely to lead the Indian T20I side. He has led India in T20Is during Rohit Sharma's break and served as Hitman's deputy in the 2024 T20 World Cup, in West Indies and the USA. "It is expected that in the absence of Rohit, Hardik and KL are the options to be given the responsibility of captain. Both have captained the team earlier," a top source in BCCI told India Today. Also read: Gambhir backs former KKR teammate as India's bowling coach, BCCI keen to rope in THIS WC winner: Report "If Hardik is not available for the T20Is, you might see Suryakumar Yadav as captain in T20Is and Rahul in ODIs. But for now, it seems that Hardik and KL will lead the team," the source further added. After India's T20 WC triumph, in the recently-held 20-nation mega event, Rohit, Kohli and even Jasprit Bumrah are expected to be rested for the entire SL tour. India's tour commences on July 27 and will conclude on August 7. The trio of Rohit, Bumrah and Kohli are likely to be back before the commencement of India's home season in September.

India tour of SL: KL Rahul to lead in ODIs, Hardik Pandya in T20Is as Gautam Gambhir era kicks off - Report

<p>Krunal Pandya has called the treatment of his brother and India all-rounder Hardik Pandya by fans before the T20 World Cup undeserving. It is to be noted that Hardik was booed severely by fans during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season just ahead of the T20 World Cup.</p>

<p>The reason for the treatment meted out by the fans&nbsp;was Hardik&nbsp;being named the Mumbai Indians skipper by replacing Rohit Sharma. Hardik was the skipper of the home state franchise Gujarat Titans before being named MI skipper.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/nafees-iqbal-former-bangladesh-batter-and-brother-of-tamim-iqbal-suffers-brain-haemorrhage-738474">Nafees Iqbal, former Bangladesh batter and brother of Tamim Iqbal, suffers brain haemorrhage</a></p>

<p>"The last six months have been the toughest for Hardik. He simply didn’t deserve what he went through, and as a brother, I felt very, very bad for him. From booing, to people saying all kinds of nasty things, at the end of the day, we all forgot that he is just a human being who also has emotions. He somehow passed through all of this with a smile, though I know how hard it was for him to put on a smile. He kept working hard and focusing on what he needed to do to get the World Cup since that was his ultimate objective," Krunal wrote in an Instagram post.</p>

<p>Hardik played a pivotal role in India's second T20 World Cup with 144 runs and 11 wickets in eight games. His 3/19 in the final against South Africa essentially saved the game for India.</p>

<p>"I just want to remind people that what Hardik has done in such a short span in his career is unbelievable. His efforts for the national team have never been compromised. Every time, at every stage of Hardik’s life, people have written him off, and that has only motivated him to come back even stronger," added Krunal in his post.</p>

<p>India beat South Africa on June 29 by seven runs to win the 2024 T20 World Cup.</p>


Krunal Pandya has called the treatment of his brother and India all-rounder Hardik Pandya by fans before the T20 World Cup undeserving. It is to be noted that Hardik was booed severely by fans during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season just ahead of the T20 World Cup.

Krunal Pandya has called the treatment of his brother and India all-rounder Hardik Pandya by fans before the T20 World Cup undeserving. It is to be noted that Hardik was booed severely by fans during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season just ahead of the T20 World Cup. The reason for the treatment meted out by the fans was Hardik being named the Mumbai Indians skipper by replacing Rohit Sharma. Hardik was the skipper of the home state franchise Gujarat Titans before being named MI skipper. Also Read: Nafees Iqbal, former Bangladesh batter and brother of Tamim Iqbal, suffers brain haemorrhage "The last six months have been the toughest for Hardik. He simply didn’t deserve what he went through, and as a brother, I felt very, very bad for him. From booing, to people saying all kinds of nasty things, at the end of the day, we all forgot that he is just a human being who also has emotions. He somehow passed through all of this with a smile, though I know how hard it was for him to put on a smile. He kept working hard and focusing on what he needed to do to get the World Cup since that was his ultimate objective," Krunal wrote in an Instagram post. Hardik played a pivotal role in India's second T20 World Cup with 144 runs and 11 wickets in eight games. His 3/19 in the final against South Africa essentially saved the game for India. "I just want to remind people that what Hardik has done in such a short span in his career is unbelievable. His efforts for the national team have never been compromised. Every time, at every stage of Hardik’s life, people have written him off, and that has only motivated him to come back even stronger," added Krunal in his post. India beat South Africa on June 29 by seven runs to win the 2024 T20 World Cup.

'We all forgot...': Krunal Pandya shares EMOTIONAL post for brother Hardik after 2024 T20 World Cup heroics

<p>Indian star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has seen a roller-coaster last six months having struggled personally before rising on the grandest stage to win the T20 World Cup with Team India. Pandya, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (July 4),&nbsp;opened up on how he answered the critics with his performance on the field. Hardik played a pivotal role in Team India’s recent T20 World Cup success having beaten South Africa in the final.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> | During his interaction with PM Modi, Cricketer Hardik Pandya said, "...Last 6 months have been very entertaining for me, there have been a lot of ups and downs and the public booed me. A lot of things happened and I always felt that if I give any answer, it would be… <a href="https://t.co/bzti1hNUKu">pic.twitter.com/bzti1hNUKu</a></p>
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<h2><strong>Pandya opens up on struggles</strong></h2>

<p>"The last 6 months have been very entertaining for me, there have been a lot of ups and downs and the public booed me. A lot of things happened and I always felt that if I give any answer, it would be through sports... So I believed that I would stay strong, will work hard,” Hardik said while in conversation with PM Modi.</p>

<p>During the tournament, Hardik was one of the important members of the squad and played in all the matches including the final where he bowled the decisive over. He finished with 144 runs at a batting strike rate of over 150 and also took 11 wickets. He was recently rewarded with the top rank in the T20 All-rounders rankings released on Wednesday.</p>

<p>In the last six months, Hardik was criticised for taking over the captaincy at Indian Premier League (IPL) side Mumbai Indians. He was booed by certain sections of the stadium when representing Mumbai at the IPL 2024.</p>

<p>However, those critics were answered when Hardik went on play&nbsp;a key role in the Indian team’s success and&nbsp;help lift the T20 World Cup.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/how-mothers-love-made-rohit-sharma-blush-upon-arrival-in-mumbai-watch-738240">How mother’s love made Rohit Sharma blush upon arrival in Mumbai – WATCH</a></p>

<h2><strong>Fitting reception for Team India</strong></h2>

<p>On Thursday, in a grand ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium, the BCCI officials felicitated Team India and its stars and handed a cheque of INR 1.25 billion ($15 million). Board Secretary Jay Shah, President Roger Binney, BCCI Vice President, Treasurer Ashish Shelar and others were present at the ceremony as Team India was welcomed with open arms. Players were then seen going around the stadium in a victory lap handing out signed balls for the fans and showcasing the World Cup trophy.</p>


Indian star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has seen a roller-coaster last six months having struggled personally before rising on the grandest stage to win the T20 World Cup with Team India.

Indian star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has seen a roller-coaster last six months having struggled personally before rising on the grandest stage to win the T20 World Cup with Team India. Pandya, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (July 4), opened up on how he answered the critics with his performance on the field. Hardik played a pivotal role in Team India’s recent T20 World Cup success having beaten South Africa in the final. #WATCH | During his interaction with PM Modi, Cricketer Hardik Pandya said, "...Last 6 months have been very entertaining for me, there have been a lot of ups and downs and the public booed me. A lot of things happened and I always felt that if I give any answer, it would be… pic.twitter.com/bzti1hNUKu — ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2024 × Pandya opens up on struggles "The last 6 months have been very entertaining for me, there have been a lot of ups and downs and the public booed me. A lot of things happened and I always felt that if I give any answer, it would be through sports... So I believed that I would stay strong, will work hard,” Hardik said while in conversation with PM Modi. During the tournament, Hardik was one of the important members of the squad and played in all the matches including the final where he bowled the decisive over. He finished with 144 runs at a batting strike rate of over 150 and also took 11 wickets. He was recently rewarded with the top rank in the T20 All-rounders rankings released on Wednesday. In the last six months, Hardik was criticised for taking over the captaincy at Indian Premier League (IPL) side Mumbai Indians. He was booed by certain sections of the stadium when representing Mumbai at the IPL 2024. However, those critics were answered when Hardik went on play a key role in the Indian team’s success and help lift the T20 World Cup. ALSO READ | How mother’s love made Rohit Sharma blush upon arrival in Mumbai – WATCH Fitting reception for Team India On Thursday, in a grand ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium, the BCCI officials felicitated Team India and its stars and handed a cheque of INR 1.25 billion ($15 million). Board Secretary Jay Shah, President Roger Binney, BCCI Vice President, Treasurer Ashish Shelar and others were present at the ceremony as Team India was welcomed with open arms. Players were then seen going around the stadium in a victory lap handing out signed balls for the fans and showcasing the World Cup trophy.

Hardik Pandya opens up on struggles during conversation with PM Modi, says 'I would stay strong and...'

<p>India's Hardik Pandya is now the joint number one T20I all-rounder along with Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga. Hardik rose two places in the latest ICC rankings following a stellar 2024 T20 World Cup.</p>

<p>The all-rounder played an important role in India's title winning campaign which culminated with a 7-run win against first-time finalists South Africa on Saturday (June 29).</p>

<p>Pandya took 11 wickets in eight games to go with 144 runs at a strike rate of over 150. His most pivotal moment came in the final itself when he claimed 3/19 in four overs to guide India to a thrilling victory.</p>

<p>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ahead-of-james-andersons-farewell-test-brian-lara-terms-him-greatest-fast-bowler-to-have-played-the-game-737436">Ahead of James Anderson's farewell Test, Brian Lara terms him 'greatest fast bowler to have played the game'</a></p>

<p>In the final, Pandya dismissed dangerous looking Heinrich Klaasen when South Africa needed 30 off 30 balls. He then defended 16 runs in the last over after dismissing last recognised SA batter David Miller on the first ball of the over.</p>

<p>Pandya's performance saw him getting appreciation by same fans who were booing him before the T20 World Cup. The fans criticised the all-rounder after he got injured in the ODI World Cup last year and became fit for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season.</p>

<p>In the IPL too, he faced ire of fans as he quit Gujarat Titans and replaced Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indians skipper.</p>

<p>After India's title win, Pandya spoke about the criticism he faced in the lead up to the T20 World Cup and said: "It's very emotional, something was not clicking, but this was something the whole nation wanted."</p>

<p>"Special for me after my six months, I haven't spoken a word, things have been unfair, but I knew there'd be a time I could shine. An opportunity like this makes it all the more special. We always believed, stayed calm, let the pressure come to them," added the star all-rounder.</p>


India's Hardik Pandya is now the joint number one T20I all-rounder along with Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga. Hardik rose two places in the latest ICC rankings following a stellar 2024 T20 World Cup.

India's Hardik Pandya is now the joint number one T20I all-rounder along with Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga. Hardik rose two places in the latest ICC rankings following a stellar 2024 T20 World Cup. The all-rounder played an important role in India's title winning campaign which culminated with a 7-run win against first-time finalists South Africa on Saturday (June 29). Pandya took 11 wickets in eight games to go with 144 runs at a strike rate of over 150. His most pivotal moment came in the final itself when he claimed 3/19 in four overs to guide India to a thrilling victory. Also Read: Ahead of James Anderson's farewell Test, Brian Lara terms him 'greatest fast bowler to have played the game' In the final, Pandya dismissed dangerous looking Heinrich Klaasen when South Africa needed 30 off 30 balls. He then defended 16 runs in the last over after dismissing last recognised SA batter David Miller on the first ball of the over. Pandya's performance saw him getting appreciation by same fans who were booing him before the T20 World Cup. The fans criticised the all-rounder after he got injured in the ODI World Cup last year and became fit for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. In the IPL too, he faced ire of fans as he quit Gujarat Titans and replaced Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indians skipper. After India's title win, Pandya spoke about the criticism he faced in the lead up to the T20 World Cup and said: "It's very emotional, something was not clicking, but this was something the whole nation wanted." "Special for me after my six months, I haven't spoken a word, things have been unfair, but I knew there'd be a time I could shine. An opportunity like this makes it all the more special. We always believed, stayed calm, let the pressure come to them," added the star all-rounder.

India's Hardik Pandya becomes number one T20I all-rounder after 2024 T20 World Cup heroics

<p>BCCI Secretary Jay Shah opened up on prospects of Hardik Pandya succeeding Rohit Sharma as India's T20I captain after the just-concluded 2024 T20 World Cup. After India beat South Africa by 7 runs in the T20 WC final, in Barbados on Saturday (June 29), to lift the coveted title for the second time, captain Rohit announced his T20I retirement. Thus, speculations are rife that Hardik will replace Rohit as the next Indian captain given he was leading in the shortest format when Hitman was away (from the 2022 T20 WC semifinal till end of 2023).</p>

<p>Shah said as quoted by Hindustan Times, "Captaincy will be decided by the selectors, and we will announce it after discussing with them. You asked about Hardik, there were lot of questions over his form but we and selectors showed faith in him and he proved himself."</p>

<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-team-stranded-in-barbados-after-t20-wc-win-as-hurricane-warning-shuts-airport-736632">Indian Team stranded in Barbados after T20 WC win as hurricane warning shuts airport</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>HARDIK'S CAPTAINCY CREDENTIALS</strong></h2>

<p>Hardik has captained India in 16 T20Is, leading them to 10 victories. The star all-rounder -- who picked 11 wickets and scored 144 runs at 151.57 in the T20 WC 2024 edition -- has also led the national side in 3 ODIs. He led the Gujarat Titans (GT) to the IPL 2022 championship in their maiden season and took over as Mumbai Indians (MI) captain, replacing Rohit, after rejoining the franchise ahead of IPL 2024.</p>

<p>India's next assignment is a five-match T20I series versus Zimbabwe, in the African nation starting on July 6. Shubman Gill has been named the captain of the second-stringed side with many regulars being rested following the T20 WC in West Indies and USA. Following that, India will travel to Sri Lanka to play 3 T20Is and ODIs each.&nbsp;The new skipper is expected to be announced by then.</p>


BCCI Secretary Jay Shah opened up on prospects of Hardik Pandya succeeding Rohit Sharma as India's T20I captain after the just-concluded 2024 T20 World Cup. After India beat South Africa by 7 runs in the T20 WC final, in Barbados on Saturday (June 29), to lift the coveted title for the second time, captain Rohit announced his T20I retirement.

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah opened up on prospects of Hardik Pandya succeeding Rohit Sharma as India's T20I captain after the just-concluded 2024 T20 World Cup. After India beat South Africa by 7 runs in the T20 WC final, in Barbados on Saturday (June 29), to lift the coveted title for the second time, captain Rohit announced his T20I retirement. Thus, speculations are rife that Hardik will replace Rohit as the next Indian captain given he was leading in the shortest format when Hitman was away (from the 2022 T20 WC semifinal till end of 2023). Shah said as quoted by Hindustan Times, "Captaincy will be decided by the selectors, and we will announce it after discussing with them. You asked about Hardik, there were lot of questions over his form but we and selectors showed faith in him and he proved himself." Also read: Indian Team stranded in Barbados after T20 WC win as hurricane warning shuts airport HARDIK'S CAPTAINCY CREDENTIALS Hardik has captained India in 16 T20Is, leading them to 10 victories. The star all-rounder -- who picked 11 wickets and scored 144 runs at 151.57 in the T20 WC 2024 edition -- has also led the national side in 3 ODIs. He led the Gujarat Titans (GT) to the IPL 2022 championship in their maiden season and took over as Mumbai Indians (MI) captain, replacing Rohit, after rejoining the franchise ahead of IPL 2024. India's next assignment is a five-match T20I series versus Zimbabwe, in the African nation starting on July 6. Shubman Gill has been named the captain of the second-stringed side with many regulars being rested following the T20 WC in West Indies and USA. Following that, India will travel to Sri Lanka to play 3 T20Is and ODIs each. The new skipper is expected to be announced by then.

Hardik Pandya to succeed Rohit Sharma as India's T20I captain? BCCI secretary Jay Shah drops BIG HINT

<p>Hardik Pandya has endured some tough times in the last six months while dealing with injuries, rumours, booing, setbacks and poor form, but as someone who always decides against staying down, he weathered those storms and stood tall in the end as a hero.</p>

<p>Pandya bowled the last over against South Africa with 16 needed off six balls. With David Miller at the crease, the Proteas were in the chase for their maiden T20 World Cup title; however, a stunning catch by Suryakumar Yadav changed the equation as Miller got out, and India won the game five balls later. Pandya became the hero and&nbsp;broke down while celebrating Team India's second T20 World Cup win.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/life-completes-a-full-circle-for-rahul-dravid-as-departing-india-coach-leads-team-to-glory-in-t20-world-cup-736469">Life completes a full circle for Rahul Dravid as departing India coach leads team to glory in T20 World Cup</a></strong></p>

<p>Meanwhile, since returning from an ankle injury earlier in March, Pandya replaced Rohit Sharma as the new captain of Mumbai Indians, with countless MI fans tearing into him with regular boos throughout the tournament. That affected him so much that Pandya lost confidence heading into the showpiece event in the Americas, let alone thinking about performing with bat and ball.</p>

<p>However, the game changed during the 20-team tournament when Pandya, now in an India jersey, began from where he had left (before getting injured during the 50-over World Cup in October last year). His exploits in each passing game began to leave a larger impact, and by the time the knockouts came, he was on the top of his prowess.</p>

<p>Despite leaking runs earlier in the finale, Pandya returned to pick the biggest wicket of Heinrich Klaasen (on 51) and pulled the game back for India. For keeping his composure in the final over and winning the game for India, Pandya deserves all the applause.</p>

<p>But, his reaction to winning the T20 WC, and what this meant to him, knowing how he controlled himself in the past six months, broke the internet.</p>

<p>“It means a lot. Very emotional, we'd been working very hard, and something was not clicking. But today we got what the whole nation wanted. More special for me; for how my last six months were, I haven't spoken a word, things have been unfair," Pandya said in a chat with Star Sports.</p>

<p>“I knew that if I kept working hard, I could shine and do what I could do. Getting an opportunity like this makes it more special. We always believed it was just about executing our plans and staying calm and letting the pressure come to them," Pandya said in a post-match presentation.</p>

<p>"I believe in grace. A lot was said by people who don't know even know me one per cent as a person. People have spoken, no issues, but I have always believed in life that you never respond with words, circumstances can respond,” Pandya responded.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Watch Video here –</h2>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nothing but massive respect for you, <a href="https://twitter.com/hardikpandya7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HardikPandya7</a>! 🫡👍🏻<br />
<br />
After his recent setbacks, 'Kung fu Pandya' narrates how his unwavering spirit, hard work &amp; belief led to his comeback in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup</a>! 🔥<br />
<br />
Tune in to watch the entire celebrations, all day long, TODAY, only on Star… <a href="https://t.co/lwxAowAD1A">pic.twitter.com/lwxAowAD1A</a></p>
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia/status/1807186300514238760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Meanwhile, Pandya, alongside all seniors, is rested for the Zimbabwe T20Is, with Shubman Gill to lead a new squad for the five T20Is starting July 6.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Hardik Pandya has endured some tough times in the last six months while dealing with injuries, rumours, booing, setbacks and poor form, but as someone who always decides against staying down, he weathered those storms and stood tall in the end as a hero.

Hardik Pandya has endured some tough times in the last six months while dealing with injuries, rumours, booing, setbacks and poor form, but as someone who always decides against staying down, he weathered those storms and stood tall in the end as a hero. Pandya bowled the last over against South Africa with 16 needed off six balls. With David Miller at the crease, the Proteas were in the chase for their maiden T20 World Cup title; however, a stunning catch by Suryakumar Yadav changed the equation as Miller got out, and India won the game five balls later. Pandya became the hero and broke down while celebrating Team India's second T20 World Cup win. ALSO READ: Life completes a full circle for Rahul Dravid as departing India coach leads team to glory in T20 World Cup Meanwhile, since returning from an ankle injury earlier in March, Pandya replaced Rohit Sharma as the new captain of Mumbai Indians, with countless MI fans tearing into him with regular boos throughout the tournament. That affected him so much that Pandya lost confidence heading into the showpiece event in the Americas, let alone thinking about performing with bat and ball. However, the game changed during the 20-team tournament when Pandya, now in an India jersey, began from where he had left (before getting injured during the 50-over World Cup in October last year). His exploits in each passing game began to leave a larger impact, and by the time the knockouts came, he was on the top of his prowess. Despite leaking runs earlier in the finale, Pandya returned to pick the biggest wicket of Heinrich Klaasen (on 51) and pulled the game back for India. For keeping his composure in the final over and winning the game for India, Pandya deserves all the applause. But, his reaction to winning the T20 WC, and what this meant to him, knowing how he controlled himself in the past six months, broke the internet. “It means a lot. Very emotional, we'd been working very hard, and something was not clicking. But today we got what the whole nation wanted. More special for me; for how my last six months were, I haven't spoken a word, things have been unfair," Pandya said in a chat with Star Sports. “I knew that if I kept working hard, I could shine and do what I could do. Getting an opportunity like this makes it more special. We always believed it was just about executing our plans and staying calm and letting the pressure come to them," Pandya said in a post-match presentation. "I believe in grace. A lot was said by people who don't know even know me one per cent as a person. People have spoken, no issues, but I have always believed in life that you never respond with words, circumstances can respond,” Pandya responded. Watch Video here – Nothing but massive respect for you, @HardikPandya7! 🫡👍🏻 After his recent setbacks, 'Kung fu Pandya' narrates how his unwavering spirit, hard work & belief led to his comeback in the #T20WorldCup! 🔥 Tune in to watch the entire celebrations, all day long, TODAY, only on Star… pic.twitter.com/lwxAowAD1A — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 29, 2024 × Meanwhile, Pandya, alongside all seniors, is rested for the Zimbabwe T20Is, with Shubman Gill to lead a new squad for the five T20Is starting July 6. (With inputs from agencies)

Emotional Hardik Pandya breaks down after T20 WC win against South Africa, says ‘I kept quiet for 6 months’

<p>India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant almost injured all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the Super 8 clash against Australia on Monday (June 24). Pandya, however, escaped unhurt but showed his frustration very clearly.</p>

<p>The incident happened in the final over of the Aussie innings when a ball by Pandya was missed by batter Mitchell Starc and went to Pant. The wicketkeeper then tried to run Starc out with a fast throw despite the batter being inside the crease.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The fast throw went straight to Pandya who was not happy with this. Rohit Sharma also threw his hands in air in frustration.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/t20-world-cup-2024-taliban-uses-water-cannons-on-fans-celebrating-afghanistans-win-vs-bangladesh-watch-735065">T20 World Cup 2024: Taliban uses water cannon on fans celebrating Afghanistan's win vs Bangladesh - WATCH</a></p>

<p>Earlier in the match, Pant had missed a simple catch to which Rohit had showed his anger towards him without holding back.</p>

<p>It happened in the second over of the Aussie innings when Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh fended a bouncer by Jasprit Bumrah awkwardly to leg gully position. Pant initially went after the ball but stopped mid-way and the ball dropped on the ground.</p>

<p>Rohit was clearly not happy with this effort and let his frustration known immediately.</p>

<p>As for result, India beat Australia by 24 runs in Super 8 clash on Monday (June 24) to book a place in the semi-final.</p>

<p>For India, Arshdeep was the pick of the bowlers with 3/37 in four overs but it was Kuldeep's 2/24 which made the difference. Apart from them, Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel also took one wicket each a Australia failed to chase 206.</p>

<p>India's innings was set up by Rohit Sharma's belligerent 92 off 41 during which he hit record eight sixes as well. Rohit also became the first batter to hit 200 sixes in T20Is.</p>

<p>India will now play against England in the second semi-final in a rematch of the 2022 T20 World Cup's semi rematch. India had lost that match by 10 wickets and England went on to win the whole thing.&nbsp;</p>


India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant almost injured all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the Super 8 clash against Australia on Monday (June 24). Pandya, however, escaped unhurt but showed his frustration very clearly.

India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant almost injured all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the Super 8 clash against Australia on Monday (June 24). Pandya, however, escaped unhurt but showed his frustration very clearly. The incident happened in the final over of the Aussie innings when a ball by Pandya was missed by batter Mitchell Starc and went to Pant. The wicketkeeper then tried to run Starc out with a fast throw despite the batter being inside the crease. The fast throw went straight to Pandya who was not happy with this. Rohit Sharma also threw his hands in air in frustration. Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024: Taliban uses water cannon on fans celebrating Afghanistan's win vs Bangladesh - WATCH Earlier in the match, Pant had missed a simple catch to which Rohit had showed his anger towards him without holding back. It happened in the second over of the Aussie innings when Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh fended a bouncer by Jasprit Bumrah awkwardly to leg gully position. Pant initially went after the ball but stopped mid-way and the ball dropped on the ground. Rohit was clearly not happy with this effort and let his frustration known immediately. As for result, India beat Australia by 24 runs in Super 8 clash on Monday (June 24) to book a place in the semi-final. For India, Arshdeep was the pick of the bowlers with 3/37 in four overs but it was Kuldeep's 2/24 which made the difference. Apart from them, Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel also took one wicket each a Australia failed to chase 206. India's innings was set up by Rohit Sharma's belligerent 92 off 41 during which he hit record eight sixes as well. Rohit also became the first batter to hit 200 sixes in T20Is. India will now play against England in the second semi-final in a rematch of the 2022 T20 World Cup's semi rematch. India had lost that match by 10 wickets and England went on to win the whole thing.

T20 World Cup 2024: India's Rishabh Pant almost injures Hardik Pandya in Super 8 clash vs Australia

<p>Rohit Sharma-led India stormed their way into the T20 World Cup 2024 semifinals with a 21-run win over Australia in their last Super 8 clash on Monday (June 24) in St Lucia. With this, the Men in Blue kept their winning run intact in the mega event being held in West Indies and the USA.</p>

<p>Ahead of their semifinal clash, where they face defending champions England on Thursday (June 27) in Guyana, former Indian pacer S Sreesanth compared Hardik Pandya with former all-rounder Yuvraj Singh and made a bold claim. Sreesanth feels in-form Hardik can do what Yuvraj did for India in their victorious run in the 2011 ODI World Cup at home, with his all-round abilities.</p>

<p>Hardik has chipped in with&nbsp;8 wickets and scored 116 crucial runs so far in the showpiece tournament, with skipper Rohit also terming him India's 'key player'.</p>

<p>Sreesanth lauded Hardik and said on Star Sports, after India's win over Australia, "The last conference where he (Rohit Sharma) said Hardik Pandya is a key player in the team. What Yuvraj Singh did in the 2011 as an all-rounder, with bat, with ball and his fielding, I think Hardik is very much capable of doing that in this T20 World Cup. I think none of us will be surprised if Rohit lifts the trophy."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/t20-wc-its-not-afghanistan-captain-rashid-khan-on-gulbadin-naibs-cramps-during-bangladesh-tie-734982">T20 WC: 'It's not...' - Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan on Gulbadin Naib's cramps during Bangladesh tie</a></strong></p>

<p>Hardik entered the ongoing 20-nation T20 WC on the back of a very poor run in the IPL 2024 edition.</p>

<p>The all-rounder returned to competitive cricket during this year's IPL after an injury during last year's ODI WC at home, in October-November.</p>

<p>Hardik replaced Rohit as the Mumbai Indians (MI) captain but failed to make any impact with bat and ball.</p>

<p>Under Hardik, MI ended 10th and many raised fingers at him ahead of the T20 WC. However, the 30-year-old has returned to his usual best in Indian colours during the ICC event.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hardik has made an impact in every game so far, including a Player-of-the-Match performance during India's Super 8 win versus Bangladesh&nbsp;(with a 50 not out and 1 for 32). The veteran&nbsp;will be eager to carry on in a similar stead in the upcoming semifinal versus England.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Rohit Sharma-led India stormed their way into the T20 World Cup 2024 semifinals with a 21-run win over Australia in their last Super 8 clash on Monday (June 24) in St Lucia.

Rohit Sharma-led India stormed their way into the T20 World Cup 2024 semifinals with a 21-run win over Australia in their last Super 8 clash on Monday (June 24) in St Lucia. With this, the Men in Blue kept their winning run intact in the mega event being held in West Indies and the USA. Ahead of their semifinal clash, where they face defending champions England on Thursday (June 27) in Guyana, former Indian pacer S Sreesanth compared Hardik Pandya with former all-rounder Yuvraj Singh and made a bold claim. Sreesanth feels in-form Hardik can do what Yuvraj did for India in their victorious run in the 2011 ODI World Cup at home, with his all-round abilities. Hardik has chipped in with 8 wickets and scored 116 crucial runs so far in the showpiece tournament, with skipper Rohit also terming him India's 'key player'. Sreesanth lauded Hardik and said on Star Sports, after India's win over Australia, "The last conference where he (Rohit Sharma) said Hardik Pandya is a key player in the team. What Yuvraj Singh did in the 2011 as an all-rounder, with bat, with ball and his fielding, I think Hardik is very much capable of doing that in this T20 World Cup. I think none of us will be surprised if Rohit lifts the trophy." Also read: T20 WC: 'It's not...' - Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan on Gulbadin Naib's cramps during Bangladesh tie Hardik entered the ongoing 20-nation T20 WC on the back of a very poor run in the IPL 2024 edition. The all-rounder returned to competitive cricket during this year's IPL after an injury during last year's ODI WC at home, in October-November. Hardik replaced Rohit as the Mumbai Indians (MI) captain but failed to make any impact with bat and ball. Under Hardik, MI ended 10th and many raised fingers at him ahead of the T20 WC. However, the 30-year-old has returned to his usual best in Indian colours during the ICC event. Hardik has made an impact in every game so far, including a Player-of-the-Match performance during India's Super 8 win versus Bangladesh (with a 50 not out and 1 for 32). The veteran will be eager to carry on in a similar stead in the upcoming semifinal versus England.

T20 WC: Former India pacer compares Hardik Pandya with Yuvraj Singh, makes HUGE claim

<p>Shubman Gill has turned out to be the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) top contender to lead India in the&nbsp;upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, after the T20 World Cup. Gill was part of the Rohit Sharma-led India's T20 WC squad, named among the reserves, before being released. The right-hander is being considered to lead the Men in Blue in the tour of the African nation after Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav reportedly declined to take part in the tour. India will tour Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series starting on July 6.</p>

<p>As per a report in the Indian Express, the decision to consider Gill as the Indian captain for the Zimbabwe tour came after Hardik and Surya's refusal to take part in the tour. Many senior players such as Rohit, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik and Surya are expected to take a break post the ongoing T20 WC, in West Indies and the USA. Hence, Gill's name came up to lead the national side in Zimbabwe, where several youngsters will also be tested.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/win-an-icc-event-or-face-axe-gautam-gambhirs-one-of-several-conditions-for-india-coach-job-report-734648">Win an ICC event or face axe – Gautam Gambhir’s ‘one of several conditions’ for India coach job - Report</a></strong></p>

<p>BCCI are likely to try and test many youngsters in the tour, who have done well in this year's IPL. The likes of Sanju Samson, Nitish Rana,&nbsp;&nbsp;Rinku Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Harshit Rana, Riyan Parag, Abhishek Sharma, Tushar Deshpande are reportedly expected to travel to Zimbabwe.</p>

<p>Moreover, National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman will be serving as the head coach of Team India in Zimbabwe with Gautam Gambhir -- the next Indian team head coach in all likelihood -- to take over from India's limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka, later in July.</p>


Shubman Gill has turned out to be the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) top contender to lead India in the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, after the T20 World Cup.

Shubman Gill has turned out to be the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) top contender to lead India in the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, after the T20 World Cup. Gill was part of the Rohit Sharma-led India's T20 WC squad, named among the reserves, before being released. The right-hander is being considered to lead the Men in Blue in the tour of the African nation after Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav reportedly declined to take part in the tour. India will tour Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series starting on July 6. As per a report in the Indian Express, the decision to consider Gill as the Indian captain for the Zimbabwe tour came after Hardik and Surya's refusal to take part in the tour. Many senior players such as Rohit, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik and Surya are expected to take a break post the ongoing T20 WC, in West Indies and the USA. Hence, Gill's name came up to lead the national side in Zimbabwe, where several youngsters will also be tested. Also read: Win an ICC event or face axe – Gautam Gambhir’s ‘one of several conditions’ for India coach job - Report BCCI are likely to try and test many youngsters in the tour, who have done well in this year's IPL. The likes of Sanju Samson, Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Harshit Rana, Riyan Parag, Abhishek Sharma, Tushar Deshpande are reportedly expected to travel to Zimbabwe. Moreover, National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman will be serving as the head coach of Team India in Zimbabwe with Gautam Gambhir -- the next Indian team head coach in all likelihood -- to take over from India's limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka, later in July.

Gill leading contender to lead India after Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav decline Zimbabwe tour: Report

<p>Former West Indies cricketer-turned-commentator Ian Bishop feels Hardik Pandya has moved on from IPL 2024 setback and lauded the all-rounder for having a strong personality. In IPL 2024, Hardik had a torrid time both as captain and player. Returning to Mumbai Indians (MI),&nbsp;Hardik was booed by a wide section of fans, across the nation, for replacing Rohit Sharma as the MI captain. Moreover, the 30-year-old only managed only 216 runs, at an average of 18, along with taking 11 wickets from 14 games. Under Hardik, MI finished at the tenth spot. However, the all-rounder showed signs of returning to form during India's T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up game versus Bangladesh on Saturday (June 1).</p>

<p>However, in&nbsp;the warm-up tie, Hardik smashed a 23-ball 40 and also chipped in with a wicket at the Nassau County Cricket Ground, New York. On Monday (June 3), after Namibia's thrilling Super Over win over Oman, in Barbados, in match 3 of the T20 WC, Bishop opined that Hardik has moved on from his horrible run in IPL 2024.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Bishop stated, "I think he is a pretty strong personality. I would like to think that the other members of the team would have rallied around him. What he endured during the IPL, some of it was not of his own making. I just wish fans could have approached it maybe a little differently, but they have the right to voice their views however they see fit.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/t20-wc-luggage-lost-flight-delayed-ipl-bound-aussie-players-face-challenges-upon-landing-in-caribbean-728276">T20 WC: Luggage lost, flight delayed - IPL bound-Aussie players face challenges upon landing in Caribbean</a></strong></p>

<p>Bishop further added, "I am sure he has moved on now to what is the biggest stage in T20 international cricket and that whole picture is ahead of us. But he is a strong guy."</p>

<p>At present, Hardik is gearing up for India's T20 WC opener, where the Rohit-led Men in Blue will face Ireland on June 5 (Wednesday) in New York. The one-time winners are placed in Group A along with arch-rivals Pakistan, Ireland, USA and Canada.</p>

<p>India are looking to win their second T20 WC title and Hardik will be eager to fire on all cylinders to fulfill India's dreams.&nbsp;</p>


Former West Indies cricketer-turned-commentator Ian Bishop feels Hardik Pandya has moved on from IPL 2024 setback and lauded the all-rounder for having a strong personality.

Former West Indies cricketer-turned-commentator Ian Bishop feels Hardik Pandya has moved on from IPL 2024 setback and lauded the all-rounder for having a strong personality. In IPL 2024, Hardik had a torrid time both as captain and player. Returning to Mumbai Indians (MI), Hardik was booed by a wide section of fans, across the nation, for replacing Rohit Sharma as the MI captain. Moreover, the 30-year-old only managed only 216 runs, at an average of 18, along with taking 11 wickets from 14 games. Under Hardik, MI finished at the tenth spot. However, the all-rounder showed signs of returning to form during India's T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up game versus Bangladesh on Saturday (June 1). However, in the warm-up tie, Hardik smashed a 23-ball 40 and also chipped in with a wicket at the Nassau County Cricket Ground, New York. On Monday (June 3), after Namibia's thrilling Super Over win over Oman, in Barbados, in match 3 of the T20 WC, Bishop opined that Hardik has moved on from his horrible run in IPL 2024. Bishop stated, "I think he is a pretty strong personality. I would like to think that the other members of the team would have rallied around him. What he endured during the IPL, some of it was not of his own making. I just wish fans could have approached it maybe a little differently, but they have the right to voice their views however they see fit. Also read: T20 WC: Luggage lost, flight delayed - IPL bound-Aussie players face challenges upon landing in Caribbean Bishop further added, "I am sure he has moved on now to what is the biggest stage in T20 international cricket and that whole picture is ahead of us. But he is a strong guy." At present, Hardik is gearing up for India's T20 WC opener, where the Rohit-led Men in Blue will face Ireland on June 5 (Wednesday) in New York. The one-time winners are placed in Group A along with arch-rivals Pakistan, Ireland, USA and Canada. India are looking to win their second T20 WC title and Hardik will be eager to fire on all cylinders to fulfill India's dreams.

T20 World Cup: Hardik Pandya is a strong personality, moved on from IPL 2024 fiasco, feels Ian Bishop

From the past couple of days, the reports of Natasha Stankovic and Indian Cricketer Hardik Pandya heading for a divorce have been doing the rounds. The news started after fans observed that the actress and model dropped Pandya from her Instagram handle. Watch in for more details!

Netizens suspect Indian Cricketer Hardik Pandya and Natasha Stankovic have split

<p>Hardik Pandya was all over the news the past two months, but not for the right reasons. The India all-rounder returned to competitive cricket during IPL 2024, where he replaced Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indians' new captain, and that is where it all went downhill for Pandya. Speaking to the broadcaster (Star Sports) ahead of India’s lone T20 World Cup warm-up game against Bangladesh on Saturday (June 1), Pandya said these things happen in life, but he stays unaffected.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After leaving Gujarat Titans (GT) and rejoining MI ahead of IPL 2024, Pandya upset two fanbases for separate reasons. His performances were below par - scoring 216 runs from 13 contested matches while picking 11 wickets at an economy of over 10. What’s worse, his team stood tenth on the points table, with only four wins from 14 league matches.</p>

<p>Reflecting on this low phase, Pandya said, “Eventually, I believe, you have to stay in the battle. Sometimes life puts you in situations where things are tough, but I believe that if you leave the game or the field, the battle that is, you won't get what you want from your sport or the results you are looking for.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/adam-gilchrist-handpicks-nepal-netherlands-to-ruffle-a-few-feathers-at-t20-world-cup-727874">Adam Gilchrist handpicks Nepal, Netherlands to ‘ruffle a few feathers’ at T20 World Cup</a></strong></p>

<p>“So, yeah, it has been difficult, but at the same time, I have been process-driven, I have tried to follow the same routines I used to follow earlier.</p>

<p>“At the same time, these things happen; there are good times and bad times, these are phases that come and go. That is fine. I have gone through these phases many times, and I will come out of it as well,” he said ahead warm-up tie against Bangladesh.</p>

<h2>‘This too shall pass’</h2>

<p>'This too shall pass,' well, it reminds everyone of something – this was what Pakistan captain Babar Azam wrote for Virat Kohli when he was out of touch; ironically, the India veteran returned to form soon after. Pandya – a process-driven person, expects something similar regarding his form.</p>

<p>Since returning from the ankle injury, Pandya looked out of sorts on all fronts; however, with this mindset, he hopes to turn the tables around during the T20 World Cup in the Americas starting June 2.</p>

<p>"I don't take my successes too seriously. Whatever I have done well, I have forgotten about them immediately and moved forward. Same with difficult times," he said. "I don't run away from it. I face everything with [my] chin up.</p>

<p>"As they say, this too shall pass. So, coming out [of these phases] is simple: just play the sport, accept that [you need to] maybe get better at your skillset, keep working hard - hard work never goes to waste - and keep smiling,” he smiled.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, batting first against Bangladesh, Pandya smashed three sixes in the 17th over, showing signs of returning to form. Pandya scored an unbeaten 40 off 23 balls.&nbsp;</p>


Hardik Pandya was all over the news the past two months, but not for the right reasons. The India all-rounder returned to competitive cricket during IPL 2024, where he replaced Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indians' new captain, and that is where it all went downhill for Pandya.

Hardik Pandya was all over the news the past two months, but not for the right reasons. The India all-rounder returned to competitive cricket during IPL 2024, where he replaced Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indians' new captain, and that is where it all went downhill for Pandya. Speaking to the broadcaster (Star Sports) ahead of India’s lone T20 World Cup warm-up game against Bangladesh on Saturday (June 1), Pandya said these things happen in life, but he stays unaffected. After leaving Gujarat Titans (GT) and rejoining MI ahead of IPL 2024, Pandya upset two fanbases for separate reasons. His performances were below par - scoring 216 runs from 13 contested matches while picking 11 wickets at an economy of over 10. What’s worse, his team stood tenth on the points table, with only four wins from 14 league matches. Reflecting on this low phase, Pandya said, “Eventually, I believe, you have to stay in the battle. Sometimes life puts you in situations where things are tough, but I believe that if you leave the game or the field, the battle that is, you won't get what you want from your sport or the results you are looking for. ALSO READ: Adam Gilchrist handpicks Nepal, Netherlands to ‘ruffle a few feathers’ at T20 World Cup “So, yeah, it has been difficult, but at the same time, I have been process-driven, I have tried to follow the same routines I used to follow earlier. “At the same time, these things happen; there are good times and bad times, these are phases that come and go. That is fine. I have gone through these phases many times, and I will come out of it as well,” he said ahead warm-up tie against Bangladesh. ‘This too shall pass’ 'This too shall pass,' well, it reminds everyone of something – this was what Pakistan captain Babar Azam wrote for Virat Kohli when he was out of touch; ironically, the India veteran returned to form soon after. Pandya – a process-driven person, expects something similar regarding his form. Since returning from the ankle injury, Pandya looked out of sorts on all fronts; however, with this mindset, he hopes to turn the tables around during the T20 World Cup in the Americas starting June 2. "I don't take my successes too seriously. Whatever I have done well, I have forgotten about them immediately and moved forward. Same with difficult times," he said. "I don't run away from it. I face everything with [my] chin up. "As they say, this too shall pass. So, coming out [of these phases] is simple: just play the sport, accept that [you need to] maybe get better at your skillset, keep working hard - hard work never goes to waste - and keep smiling,” he smiled. Meanwhile, batting first against Bangladesh, Pandya smashed three sixes in the 17th over, showing signs of returning to form. Pandya scored an unbeaten 40 off 23 balls.

T20 WC: ‘I don’t run away from difficult times’ – Hardik Pandya reflects on ‘troubled’ last few months

<p>India’s vice-captain Hardik Pandya has arrived in New York as he gears up for the T20 World Cup which starts on Saturday (June 1) in the USA and West Indies. Hardik, who did not travel with the rest of the Indian squad, arrived from London and avoided taking a direct flight to the financial capital of the United States. Hardik will now look to make headlines for all the right reasons after being in the news for a reported divorce from his wife Nataša Stanković.</p>

<h2><strong>Hardik Pandya arrives in New York</strong></h2>

<p>After he arrived in New York, Hardik took to his social media handle and posted pictures of his training and was seen ready for the marquee tournament. He posted pictures of him in the Indian training gear and swimming in the team hotel. He looks&nbsp;in great shape for the tournament where India will be one of the favourites to win the T20 World Cup. Hardik was in decent form during the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) season but faced criticism for his poor captaincy.</p>

<p>With just four wins throughout the season, MI finished bottom of the league for the second time in the last three seasons.</p>

<h2><strong>Hardik’s reported divorce from Nataša</strong></h2>

<p>According to several reports in Indian media, Nataša and Hardik are on the verge of filing for a divorce. This comes after the Serbian model changed her name on social media handles, raising speculations of friction between the couple. Nataša was also seen on a casual date with a friend in Mumbai around the time Hardik&nbsp;ended the IPL season.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/kkr-batter-nitish-rana-shares-screenshot-of-whatsapp-text-with-gautam-gambhir-726379">KKR batter Nitish Rana shares screenshot of WhatsApp text with Gautam Gambhir</a></p>

<p>At the time of writing, neither Hardik nor Nataša have confirmed the divorce rumours while fans on the internet have labelled the entire thing&nbsp;a publicity stunt.</p>

<h2><strong>India's squad for T20 World Cup 2024</strong></h2>

<p><strong>Batters:</strong>&nbsp;Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav.</p>

<p><strong>Wicketkeepers:</strong>&nbsp;Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson.</p>

<p><strong>All-rounders:&nbsp;</strong>Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja.</p>

<p><strong>Bowlers:&nbsp;</strong>Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj</p>


India’s vice-captain Hardik Pandya has arrived in New York as he gears up for the T20 World Cup which starts on Saturday (June 1) in the USA and West Indies. Hardik, who did not travel with the rest of the Indian squad, arrived from London and avoided taking a direct flight to the financial capital of the United States.

India’s vice-captain Hardik Pandya has arrived in New York as he gears up for the T20 World Cup which starts on Saturday (June 1) in the USA and West Indies. Hardik, who did not travel with the rest of the Indian squad, arrived from London and avoided taking a direct flight to the financial capital of the United States. Hardik will now look to make headlines for all the right reasons after being in the news for a reported divorce from his wife Nataša Stanković. Hardik Pandya arrives in New York After he arrived in New York, Hardik took to his social media handle and posted pictures of his training and was seen ready for the marquee tournament. He posted pictures of him in the Indian training gear and swimming in the team hotel. He looks in great shape for the tournament where India will be one of the favourites to win the T20 World Cup. Hardik was in decent form during the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) season but faced criticism for his poor captaincy. With just four wins throughout the season, MI finished bottom of the league for the second time in the last three seasons. Hardik’s reported divorce from Nataša According to several reports in Indian media, Nataša and Hardik are on the verge of filing for a divorce. This comes after the Serbian model changed her name on social media handles, raising speculations of friction between the couple. Nataša was also seen on a casual date with a friend in Mumbai around the time Hardik ended the IPL season. ALSO READ | KKR batter Nitish Rana shares screenshot of WhatsApp text with Gautam Gambhir At the time of writing, neither Hardik nor Nataša have confirmed the divorce rumours while fans on the internet have labelled the entire thing a publicity stunt. India's squad for T20 World Cup 2024 Batters: Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav. Wicketkeepers: Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson. All-rounders: Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja. Bowlers: Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj

T20 World Cup: Hardik Pandya arrives in New York to join Team India amid divorce rumours with wife Nataša

<p>Since Friday evening, the Internet has been abuzz with speculations over star cricketer Hardik Pandya and model wife Natasa Stankovic’s divorce. The guesswork on the couple’s divorce started when Natasa dropped “Pandya” from her surname on her social media accounts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After this, all kinds of theories started on why the two might be getting divorced by self-proclaimed investigators online, which are best to refrain from. However, something really fishy is going on between the two as per latest reports.</p>

<p>If we are to believe active social media users, the couple had not posted any pictures of each other recently and Hardik did not even post anything on social media on his wife’s birthday on May 4.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Some nosy cricket fans also suggest that Natasa hadn’t been seen recently during any of the IPL 2024 matches to support the Mumbai Indians player.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-cricket-in-a-nutshell-no-t20-world-cup-bound-player-in-ipl-2024-final-725217">Indian cricket in a nutshell - No T20 World Cup-bound player in IPL 2024 Final</a></p>

<p>Adding fuel to the fire, the latest report speculates that Hardik could lose 70 per cent of his assets due to alimony if he gets divorced from his wife.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The scepticism over whopping alimony amount comes from the recent divorce case of another cricketer Shikhar Dhawan and wife Ayesha Mukherjee. Last year, Shikhar alleged that Ayesha forced him to make her the owner of the three properties that he bought in Australia while&nbsp;she was the owner of 99 per cent of one of the properties.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The court accepted Shikhar's allegations that Ayesha forced her to pay child support not only for their son but also for her two daughters for whom she already received support payments from her first husband.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/t20-world-cup-hardik-pandya-to-fly-from-london-as-team-indias-first-batch-to-depart-for-new-york-on-may-25-725274">T20 World Cup: Hardik Pandya to fly from London as Team India's first batch to depart for New York on May 25</a></p>

<p>Hardik had already been under a lot of scrutiny for the performance of his team Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League 2024, which he was heading as a captain.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hardik Pandya had proposed to his then-girlfriend Natasa Stankovic on a yacht in January 2020 and the duo welcomed their first child Agastya in July 2020. They later renewed their vows at a ceremony in Udaipur on Valentine's Day last year.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Since Friday evening, the Internet has been abuzz with speculations over star cricketer Hardik Pandya and model wife Natasa Stankovic’s divorce. The guesswork on the couple’s divorce started when Natasa dropped “Pandya” from her surname on her social media accounts.

Since Friday evening, the Internet has been abuzz with speculations over star cricketer Hardik Pandya and model wife Natasa Stankovic’s divorce. The guesswork on the couple’s divorce started when Natasa dropped “Pandya” from her surname on her social media accounts. After this, all kinds of theories started on why the two might be getting divorced by self-proclaimed investigators online, which are best to refrain from. However, something really fishy is going on between the two as per latest reports. If we are to believe active social media users, the couple had not posted any pictures of each other recently and Hardik did not even post anything on social media on his wife’s birthday on May 4. Some nosy cricket fans also suggest that Natasa hadn’t been seen recently during any of the IPL 2024 matches to support the Mumbai Indians player. Also Read | Indian cricket in a nutshell - No T20 World Cup-bound player in IPL 2024 Final Adding fuel to the fire, the latest report speculates that Hardik could lose 70 per cent of his assets due to alimony if he gets divorced from his wife. The scepticism over whopping alimony amount comes from the recent divorce case of another cricketer Shikhar Dhawan and wife Ayesha Mukherjee. Last year, Shikhar alleged that Ayesha forced him to make her the owner of the three properties that he bought in Australia while she was the owner of 99 per cent of one of the properties. The court accepted Shikhar's allegations that Ayesha forced her to pay child support not only for their son but also for her two daughters for whom she already received support payments from her first husband. Also Read | T20 World Cup: Hardik Pandya to fly from London as Team India's first batch to depart for New York on May 25 Hardik had already been under a lot of scrutiny for the performance of his team Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League 2024, which he was heading as a captain. Hardik Pandya had proposed to his then-girlfriend Natasa Stankovic on a yacht in January 2020 and the duo welcomed their first child Agastya in July 2020. They later renewed their vows at a ceremony in Udaipur on Valentine's Day last year. (With inputs from agencies)

Hardik Pandya, Natasa Stankovic divorce rumours surface online. Here's what we know

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<p>The first batch of the Indian Cricket Team will depart for New York for the 2024 T20 World Cup on Saturday (May 25) at 10 P.m. from Mumbai. Captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav and Kuldeep Yadav are among the marquee players in the first batch that will fly to Dubai first and to New York after that. Meanwhile, vice-captain Hardik Pandya will fly from London to join the Indian Team in New York for the marquee event.</p>

<p>The second lot, including players like Sanju Samson, Avesh Khan, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Yuzvendra Chahal, will depart later. The four mentioned players were part of the Rajasthan Royals side in the ongoing IPL 2024, where they lost to SunRisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 in Chennai the other night.</p>

<p>While three RR players are part of the main squad, seamer Avesh Khan is among the four travelling reserves. Alongside him, opener Shubman Gill (Gujarat Titans), Khaleel Ahmed (Delhi Capitals) and Rinku Singh (Kolkata Knight Riders) are the remaining three.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-cricket-in-a-nutshell-no-t20-world-cup-bound-player-in-ipl-2024-final-725217">Indian cricket in a nutshell - No T20 World Cup-bound player in IPL 2024 Final</a></strong></p>

<p>Of all the 19 players picked for the 20-team tournament, Rinku is the only one playing in the IPL 2024 Final.&nbsp;Kolkata will take on Hyderabad in the IPL 2024 Final&nbsp;on Sunday&nbsp;(May 26).</p>

<h2>Pandya to fly from London to join Team&nbsp;India&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Newly-appointed Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya flew to London after his side’s dismal campaign this season, where they finished last, winning just four out of 14 matches. Per the latest reports, Pandya will fly from London to join the Indian Team in New York for the T20 World Cup.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Upon landing, the Indian Team will resume training before taking on Bangladesh in their only warm-up tie on Saturday (June 1).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the Men in Blue&nbsp;are drawn&nbsp;in Group A alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, co-hosts USA, Canada and Ireland; they will open their campaign against Ireland on June 5, taking on Pakistan next in the marquee T20 WC clash on June 9 (Sunday) at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York.</p>

<h3>India’s 2024 T20 World Cup squad –</h3>

<p>Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj</p>

<p>Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The first batch of the Indian Cricket Team will depart for New York for the 2024 T20 World Cup on Saturday (May 25) at 10 P.m. from Mumbai. Captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav and Kuldeep Yadav are among the marquee players in the first batch that will fly to Dubai first and to New York after that.

The first batch of the Indian Cricket Team will depart for New York for the 2024 T20 World Cup on Saturday (May 25) at 10 P.m. from Mumbai. Captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav and Kuldeep Yadav are among the marquee players in the first batch that will fly to Dubai first and to New York after that. Meanwhile, vice-captain Hardik Pandya will fly from London to join the Indian Team in New York for the marquee event. The second lot, including players like Sanju Samson, Avesh Khan, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Yuzvendra Chahal, will depart later. The four mentioned players were part of the Rajasthan Royals side in the ongoing IPL 2024, where they lost to SunRisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 in Chennai the other night. While three RR players are part of the main squad, seamer Avesh Khan is among the four travelling reserves. Alongside him, opener Shubman Gill (Gujarat Titans), Khaleel Ahmed (Delhi Capitals) and Rinku Singh (Kolkata Knight Riders) are the remaining three. ALSO READ: Indian cricket in a nutshell - No T20 World Cup-bound player in IPL 2024 Final Of all the 19 players picked for the 20-team tournament, Rinku is the only one playing in the IPL 2024 Final. Kolkata will take on Hyderabad in the IPL 2024 Final on Sunday (May 26). Pandya to fly from London to join Team India Newly-appointed Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya flew to London after his side’s dismal campaign this season, where they finished last, winning just four out of 14 matches. Per the latest reports, Pandya will fly from London to join the Indian Team in New York for the T20 World Cup. Upon landing, the Indian Team will resume training before taking on Bangladesh in their only warm-up tie on Saturday (June 1). Meanwhile, the Men in Blue are drawn in Group A alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, co-hosts USA, Canada and Ireland; they will open their campaign against Ireland on June 5, taking on Pakistan next in the marquee T20 WC clash on June 9 (Sunday) at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York. India’s 2024 T20 World Cup squad – Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan (With inputs from agencies)

T20 World Cup: Hardik Pandya to fly from London as Team India's first batch to depart for New York on May 25

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<p>Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya is fined INR 30 lakhs and banned for one game for maintaining&nbsp;slow over-rate against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the&nbsp;side’s&nbsp;final league game at the Wankhede Stadium the other night in IPL 2024. With Mumbai wrapping up their dismal season with loss at the hands of LSG,&nbsp;Hardik’s&nbsp;one-game ban will carry forward to the next season, meaning he will miss the first match of IPL 2025.</p>

<p>Should Hardik play for any other team than MI, he will miss the first game for that franchise next season.</p>

<p>It's&nbsp;for the third time this IPL season&nbsp;that Hardik has failed to maintain the minimum over rate. While the board handed him the punishment, the rest of the playing XI, including the Impact Player, were each individually fined INR 12 lakhs or 50% of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-gears-up-for-showdown-between-ms-dhoni-and-virat-kohli-as-playoff-spot-on-line-match-preview-722706">IPL 2024 gears up for showdown between MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli as playoff spot on line - Match Preview</a></strong></p>

<p>Meanwhile,&nbsp;Hardik’s&nbsp;first stint as MI captain is one to forget. Following a trade between Gujarat Titans (GT) and MI ahead of this season, Pandya rejoined his former franchise, but as the skipper this time, replacing Rohit Sharma.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The fans booed the new MI captain throughout the tournament, with the all-rounder failing to deliver with bat and ball, scoring 216 runs from 14 matches while picking 11 wickets at an economy of over ten.</p>

<h2>‘Heart goes out for&nbsp;Hardik’</h2>

<p>Speaking on the same lines, MI head coach Mark Boucher admitted that the outside noise did&nbsp;‘affect’&nbsp;Hardik Pandya. Addressing the media after the game that MI lost by 18 runs, Boucher said he feels sorry for Hardik and that&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;never nice to hear booing against a player at any level.</p>

<p>"It&nbsp;wasn't&nbsp;great hearing all the boos,"&nbsp;Boucher said.&nbsp;"Certainly, I felt sorry for Hardik as well.&nbsp;It's&nbsp;never nice to go through something like that. So yeah, there are certain things we need to address. And we are going to address them.</p>

<p>"Now is not probably the right time. Everyone is very disappointed and emotional, so&nbsp;no good decision will get made in the&nbsp;nearest sort of&nbsp;time. We need to go back. We need to evaluate&nbsp;exactly&nbsp;what's&nbsp;going on,”&nbsp;Boucher said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, with the mega IPL auction taking place ahead of the next season, Boucher said the team management will sit together and find answers to what needs to&nbsp;be done&nbsp;to get back to winning ways. He added that the franchise wishes to take some&nbsp;‘good calls’&nbsp;before IPL 2025 gets underway.</p>

<p>"[There are] things that we need improvement on, whether on the field or off the field stuff,"&nbsp;Boucher said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We've&nbsp;got some great heads within the management team as well, and&nbsp;we'll&nbsp;sit down&nbsp;and&nbsp;we'll&nbsp;find a way of how to make it better ultimately for the players to produce the sort of cricket that we know these players can&nbsp;produce, which was under par this season.</p>

<p>"There were a lot of things happening, a lot of&nbsp;moving parts this season, which&nbsp;wasn't&nbsp;great to be a part of at certain times.&nbsp;There are certain things that did affect individuals, which ultimately did affect the team. So those are the sort of things we need to sit down and address and hopefully make some good calls&nbsp;going forward&nbsp;as well&nbsp;to address the off-field stuff,”&nbsp;Boucher noted.&nbsp;</p>


Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya is fined INR 30 lakhs and banned for one game for maintaining slow over-rate against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the side’s final league game at the Wankhede Stadium the other night in IPL 2024.

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya is fined INR 30 lakhs and banned for one game for maintaining slow over-rate against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the side’s final league game at the Wankhede Stadium the other night in IPL 2024. With Mumbai wrapping up their dismal season with loss at the hands of LSG, Hardik’s one-game ban will carry forward to the next season, meaning he will miss the first match of IPL 2025. Should Hardik play for any other team than MI, he will miss the first game for that franchise next season. It's for the third time this IPL season that Hardik has failed to maintain the minimum over rate. While the board handed him the punishment, the rest of the playing XI, including the Impact Player, were each individually fined INR 12 lakhs or 50% of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser. ALSO READ: IPL 2024 gears up for showdown between MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli as playoff spot on line - Match Preview Meanwhile, Hardik’s first stint as MI captain is one to forget. Following a trade between Gujarat Titans (GT) and MI ahead of this season, Pandya rejoined his former franchise, but as the skipper this time, replacing Rohit Sharma. The fans booed the new MI captain throughout the tournament, with the all-rounder failing to deliver with bat and ball, scoring 216 runs from 14 matches while picking 11 wickets at an economy of over ten. ‘Heart goes out for Hardik’ Speaking on the same lines, MI head coach Mark Boucher admitted that the outside noise did ‘affect’ Hardik Pandya. Addressing the media after the game that MI lost by 18 runs, Boucher said he feels sorry for Hardik and that it’s never nice to hear booing against a player at any level. "It wasn't great hearing all the boos," Boucher said. "Certainly, I felt sorry for Hardik as well. It's never nice to go through something like that. So yeah, there are certain things we need to address. And we are going to address them. "Now is not probably the right time. Everyone is very disappointed and emotional, so no good decision will get made in the nearest sort of time. We need to go back. We need to evaluate exactly what's going on,” Boucher said. Meanwhile, with the mega IPL auction taking place ahead of the next season, Boucher said the team management will sit together and find answers to what needs to be done to get back to winning ways. He added that the franchise wishes to take some ‘good calls’ before IPL 2025 gets underway. "[There are] things that we need improvement on, whether on the field or off the field stuff," Boucher said. "We've got some great heads within the management team as well, and we'll sit down and we'll find a way of how to make it better ultimately for the players to produce the sort of cricket that we know these players can produce, which was under par this season. "There were a lot of things happening, a lot of moving parts this season, which wasn't great to be a part of at certain times. There are certain things that did affect individuals, which ultimately did affect the team. So those are the sort of things we need to sit down and address and hopefully make some good calls going forward as well to address the off-field stuff,” Boucher noted.

IPL 2024: Misery mounts for MI captain Pandya as BCCI slaps fine, one-match ban for slow over-rate vs LSG

<p>Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya agreed that they didn't play good cricket throughout the Indian premier League (IPL) 2024 season and hence ended at the bottom. Pandya's comments came after their 18-run&nbsp;loss against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the last league game on Friday, May 17.</p>

<p>"Quite difficult (to summarise), this season we didn't play good quality cricket and it cost us the whole season," Hardik said after the loss to LSG at their home ground Wankhede.</p>

<p>"It's a professional world. Sometimes there'll be good and sometimes bad days. We always need to come out to put our best foot forward. As a group we didn't play quality and smart cricket and it showed in the results," he further said.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2024-rohit-sharma-reveals-who-to-blame-for-mis-horrible-season-722820">IPL 2024: Rohit Sharma reveals who to 'blame' for MI's horrible season</a></p>

<p>Mumbai had started the season with three consecutive losses and could not recover from that. Three wins in next four games did give a glimpse of MI's return to form before four losses in the next four games rendered their season all but over.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The five-time champion could not even finish on a high, losing their last two league games as well. They eventually finished with just four wins in 14 games, losing 10 of their matches.</p>

<p>Pandya himself had a difficult time at the tournament with both bat and the ball. He could score just 216 runs in 14 matches at an average of 18 and a strike rate of 143. With the ball, Pandya picked up 11 wickets in the 14 games but went for an economy of 10.75 runs per over.</p>

<p>After the match against LSG, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also fined Pandya for slow-over rate. The board fined the MI skipper INR 3 million and handed a one-match ban. The ban means Pandya won't be eligible to play the first game of the next IPL season.</p>


Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya agreed that they didn't play good cricket throughout the Indian premier League (IPL) 2024 season and hence ended at the bottom.

Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya agreed that they didn't play good cricket throughout the Indian premier League (IPL) 2024 season and hence ended at the bottom. Pandya's comments came after their 18-run loss against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the last league game on Friday, May 17. "Quite difficult (to summarise), this season we didn't play good quality cricket and it cost us the whole season," Hardik said after the loss to LSG at their home ground Wankhede. "It's a professional world. Sometimes there'll be good and sometimes bad days. We always need to come out to put our best foot forward. As a group we didn't play quality and smart cricket and it showed in the results," he further said. Also Read: IPL 2024: Rohit Sharma reveals who to 'blame' for MI's horrible season Mumbai had started the season with three consecutive losses and could not recover from that. Three wins in next four games did give a glimpse of MI's return to form before four losses in the next four games rendered their season all but over. The five-time champion could not even finish on a high, losing their last two league games as well. They eventually finished with just four wins in 14 games, losing 10 of their matches. Pandya himself had a difficult time at the tournament with both bat and the ball. He could score just 216 runs in 14 matches at an average of 18 and a strike rate of 143. With the ball, Pandya picked up 11 wickets in the 14 games but went for an economy of 10.75 runs per over. After the match against LSG, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also fined Pandya for slow-over rate. The board fined the MI skipper INR 3 million and handed a one-match ban. The ban means Pandya won't be eligible to play the first game of the next IPL season.

IPL 2024: 'Put our best...,' Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya shares views on horrible season as skipper

<p>Former Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma acknowledged that the team made many mistakes during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season which eventually cost them too much as they finished with just four wins. Sharma's comments came after MI's last game of the season, which they lost by 18 runs against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Friday, May 17.</p>

<p>"Our season didn't go according to plan. We blame ourselves for this because we made too many mistakes during the season. We lost many games that we should have won, but that's the nature of the IPL. You get a few chances and when those chances come, you must grab them," Rohit told the broadcasters after the game.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-kohli-backs-rohit-in-bashing-impact-player-rule-says-entertainment-is-fine-but-its-kills-balance-722796">IPL 2024: Kohli backs Rohit in bashing ‘Impact Player’ rule, says entertainment is fine but its kills balance</a></p>

<p>The batter, who scored 417 runs in 14 games at an average of 32 and strike rate of 150, acknowledged his failure as well.</p>

<p>"As a batter, I know I didn't live up to the standard. But, after playing for all these years, I know that if I overthink, I won't play well. All I try is to stay in a good mindset, in the right zone, keep practicing, and improve on all the flaws in my game. That's all I kept doing," he said.</p>

<p>Rohit, however, finished the season in style, scoring 68 off 38 balls but MI failed to chase the target of 215 and could manage only 196/6 in 20 overs.</p>

<p>Mumbai, who were being led by Hardik Pandya, finished last in the season with 10 losses in 14 games. They had started the season with three consecutive losses and could not recover from that. Three wins in next four games did give a glimpse of MI's return to form before four losses in the next four games rendered their season all but over.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The five-time champion could not even finish on a high, losing their last two league games as well.</p>


Former Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma acknowledged that the team made many mistakes during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season which eventually cost them too much as they finished with just four wins.

Former Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma acknowledged that the team made many mistakes during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season which eventually cost them too much as they finished with just four wins. Sharma's comments came after MI's last game of the season, which they lost by 18 runs against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Friday, May 17. "Our season didn't go according to plan. We blame ourselves for this because we made too many mistakes during the season. We lost many games that we should have won, but that's the nature of the IPL. You get a few chances and when those chances come, you must grab them," Rohit told the broadcasters after the game. Also Read: IPL 2024: Kohli backs Rohit in bashing ‘Impact Player’ rule, says entertainment is fine but its kills balance The batter, who scored 417 runs in 14 games at an average of 32 and strike rate of 150, acknowledged his failure as well. "As a batter, I know I didn't live up to the standard. But, after playing for all these years, I know that if I overthink, I won't play well. All I try is to stay in a good mindset, in the right zone, keep practicing, and improve on all the flaws in my game. That's all I kept doing," he said. Rohit, however, finished the season in style, scoring 68 off 38 balls but MI failed to chase the target of 215 and could manage only 196/6 in 20 overs. Mumbai, who were being led by Hardik Pandya, finished last in the season with 10 losses in 14 games. They had started the season with three consecutive losses and could not recover from that. Three wins in next four games did give a glimpse of MI's return to form before four losses in the next four games rendered their season all but over. The five-time champion could not even finish on a high, losing their last two league games as well.

IPL 2024: Rohit Sharma reveals who to 'blame' for MI's horrible season

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<p>Five-time IPL winners Mumbai Indians will cap off one of their worst seasons in recent years with a final home game against Lucknow Super Giants on Friday (May 17) at the Wankhede Stadium.</p>

<p>Hardik Pandya, the&nbsp;side’s&nbsp;newly-appointed captain this season, reflected on his first year as MI skipper, saying he is not result-oriented, explaining his captaincy mantra, and labelling it simple.</p>

<p>Considering that MI sits in the 10th position with just four wins thus far this season, their game against LSG is for them trying to not finish at the same spot in IPL 2024.</p>

<p>Speaking on one of the&nbsp;‘Captains Speak’&nbsp;segments, shared by the broadcaster on X, Pandya said he aims to instill confidence, belief and love into his teammates, urging them to give their 100 per cent in the matches.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/thick-skinned-kirsten-vows-to-address-mental-block-in-pakistans-quest-for-2024-t20-world-cup-glory-722435">‘Thick skinned’ Kirsten vows to address mental block in Pakistan's quest for 2024 T20 World Cup glory</a></strong></p>

<p>"I&nbsp;think my captaincy is simple,"&nbsp;Hardik said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It's&nbsp;just Hardik Pandya playing with ten other of his teammates. The mantra is simple. Looking after the players, you give them the confidence, you&nbsp;give them the belief; you give them the love. They will go out and give more than 100 per cent,&nbsp;and&nbsp;that's&nbsp;something&nbsp;I ask for,”&nbsp;he added.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/hardikpandya7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hardikpandya7</a> believes in approach over result and feels it is important to give the team confidence in order for them to perform! 👏🏼<br />
<br />
Will <a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mipaltan</a> and Hardik end the campaign on a winning note? 🤔<br />
<br />
Watch him in action as he takes on Lucknow in their final home game tonight!… <a href="https://t.co/PTH0s97Zn8">pic.twitter.com/PTH0s97Zn8</a></p>
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia/status/1791306283749937664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>Before returning to his former franchise in a historic swap deal ahead of this season, Pandya led Gujarat Titans for two years, and led them to their maiden IPL title in their first attempt in 2022.</p>

<p>Even the following year, he led his team to the final against Chennai Super Kings, losing the close tie at home in Ahmedabad.</p>

<p>Calling himself approach-oriented rather than result-oriented, Pandya continued,&nbsp;"I am not someone who is result-oriented, but I am definitely approach-oriented. (I see)&nbsp;what kind of approach they (players) are showing, and if I feel that&nbsp;is suiting&nbsp;the team, I think&nbsp;somewhere down the line it helps the team.”</p>

<h2>Pandya’s&nbsp;worrisome form rocked&nbsp;MI</h2>

<p>Hardik Pandya returned to competitive cricket in IPL 2024 from an injury layoff, struggling to get going with both bat and ball this season.</p>

<p>While with the&nbsp;bat&nbsp;he just scored 200 runs in 13 matches, 46 being his best, he returned with 11 wickets at over 10 per over.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With the 2024 T20 World Cup on the horizon,&nbsp;Pandya’s&nbsp;poor form mounts worry on the Men in Blue.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India opens their campaign against Ireland on June 5.&nbsp;</p>


Five-time IPL winners Mumbai Indians will cap off one of their worst seasons in recent years with a final home game against Lucknow Super Giants on Friday (May 17) at the Wankhede Stadium.

Five-time IPL winners Mumbai Indians will cap off one of their worst seasons in recent years with a final home game against Lucknow Super Giants on Friday (May 17) at the Wankhede Stadium. Hardik Pandya, the side’s newly-appointed captain this season, reflected on his first year as MI skipper, saying he is not result-oriented, explaining his captaincy mantra, and labelling it simple. Considering that MI sits in the 10th position with just four wins thus far this season, their game against LSG is for them trying to not finish at the same spot in IPL 2024. Speaking on one of the ‘Captains Speak’ segments, shared by the broadcaster on X, Pandya said he aims to instill confidence, belief and love into his teammates, urging them to give their 100 per cent in the matches. ALSO READ: ‘Thick skinned’ Kirsten vows to address mental block in Pakistan's quest for 2024 T20 World Cup glory "I think my captaincy is simple," Hardik said. "It's just Hardik Pandya playing with ten other of his teammates. The mantra is simple. Looking after the players, you give them the confidence, you give them the belief; you give them the love. They will go out and give more than 100 per cent, and that's something I ask for,” he added. .@hardikpandya7 believes in approach over result and feels it is important to give the team confidence in order for them to perform! 👏🏼 Will @mipaltan and Hardik end the campaign on a winning note? 🤔 Watch him in action as he takes on Lucknow in their final home game tonight!… pic.twitter.com/PTH0s97Zn8 — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 17, 2024 × Before returning to his former franchise in a historic swap deal ahead of this season, Pandya led Gujarat Titans for two years, and led them to their maiden IPL title in their first attempt in 2022. Even the following year, he led his team to the final against Chennai Super Kings, losing the close tie at home in Ahmedabad. Calling himself approach-oriented rather than result-oriented, Pandya continued, "I am not someone who is result-oriented, but I am definitely approach-oriented. (I see) what kind of approach they (players) are showing, and if I feel that is suiting the team, I think somewhere down the line it helps the team.” Pandya’s worrisome form rocked MI Hardik Pandya returned to competitive cricket in IPL 2024 from an injury layoff, struggling to get going with both bat and ball this season. While with the bat he just scored 200 runs in 13 matches, 46 being his best, he returned with 11 wickets at over 10 per over. With the 2024 T20 World Cup on the horizon, Pandya’s poor form mounts worry on the Men in Blue. India opens their campaign against Ireland on June 5.

IPL 2024: ‘I am not a result–oriented captain’ – Pandya reflects on debut stint as MI skipper

<p>Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Gautam Gambhir has lashed out at AB de Villiers for his recent comments on Hardik Pandya's captaincy. The former Indian batter did not pull any punches and said ABD was not fit to comment&nbsp;on Pandya as he had not captained in the Indian Premier League (IPL).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking to <em>Sportskeeda</em>, Gambhir said Pandya had returned to Mumbai Indians this year and that it takes time for a captain to have impact on a team, especially a serial trophy-winning team.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It’s not important what experts are saying, it’s their job to say something or the other. My opinion has always been that you judge someone’s captaincy by his team's performance. If MI had performed well (this year), all experts would have been praising him. Today MI have not performed well and that’s why everyone is talking about it," said Gambhir.</p>

<p>"Judging him every day, every match, everything is not right. Those experts who have criticised him, they should see their own performances when they captained a side. Whether it’s AB de Villiers or Kevin Pietersen. I don't think in their career there is any performance of leadership, nothing. If you go and see their records, it’s worse than any other leader," Gambhir said.</p>

<p>"So, you should compare oranges to oranges, not apples to oranges," Gambhir concluded.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/its-a-shame-ab-de-villiers-issues-clarification-on-misquoted-hardik-pandya-comments-721069"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;‘It’s a shame...’: AB de Villiers issues clarification on misquoted Hardik Pandya comments</strong></a></p>

<h2>What did ABD say?</h2>

<p>Gambhir was responding to ABD's recent comments wherein the South African said Pandya’s ego-driven captaincy style that brought him results at Gujarat Titans, was not going to produce the same results&nbsp;at MI.</p>

<p>“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," said ABD.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, after his comments caused a social media storm, De Villiers released a clarification statement, blaming the media for spinning the quotes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I very clearly stated and I will state this again -- I absolutely love the way Hardik Pandya plays his game. I love the way he captains. All I can say is, his style of captaincy is something that he has certainly worked on. It's not something that you can just walk out of the door and you are a brave captain."</p>

<p>The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter said even during his playing days, he had to put on an 'act' in front of the cameras, as Pandya is doing.</p>

<p>"Why I said it's always not genuine is because I played exactly the same way. I was not the soft-spoken, genuine AB de Villiers that I was at my home. The guy you saw on the field was in a way 'an act'. Sometimes, you have to put up a front and show the opposition that you are a force to reckon with."&nbsp;</p>

<p>While Pandya reached two finals with GT, he failed to take MI into the playoffs, becoming the first team to crash out of IPL 2024. MI will now face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Friday (May 17) at the Wankhede Stadium in what will be their final game of the season.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Gautam Gambhir has lashed out at AB de Villiers for his recent comments on Hardik Pandya's captaincy. The former Indian batter did not pull any punches and said ABD was not fit to comment on Pandya as he had not captained in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Gautam Gambhir has lashed out at AB de Villiers for his recent comments on Hardik Pandya's captaincy. The former Indian batter did not pull any punches and said ABD was not fit to comment on Pandya as he had not captained in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Speaking to Sportskeeda, Gambhir said Pandya had returned to Mumbai Indians this year and that it takes time for a captain to have impact on a team, especially a serial trophy-winning team. "It’s not important what experts are saying, it’s their job to say something or the other. My opinion has always been that you judge someone’s captaincy by his team's performance. If MI had performed well (this year), all experts would have been praising him. Today MI have not performed well and that’s why everyone is talking about it," said Gambhir. "Judging him every day, every match, everything is not right. Those experts who have criticised him, they should see their own performances when they captained a side. Whether it’s AB de Villiers or Kevin Pietersen. I don't think in their career there is any performance of leadership, nothing. If you go and see their records, it’s worse than any other leader," Gambhir said. "So, you should compare oranges to oranges, not apples to oranges," Gambhir concluded. Also read | ‘It’s a shame...’: AB de Villiers issues clarification on misquoted Hardik Pandya comments What did ABD say? Gambhir was responding to ABD's recent comments wherein the South African said Pandya’s ego-driven captaincy style that brought him results at Gujarat Titans, was not going to produce the same results at MI. “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," said ABD. However, after his comments caused a social media storm, De Villiers released a clarification statement, blaming the media for spinning the quotes. "I very clearly stated and I will state this again -- I absolutely love the way Hardik Pandya plays his game. I love the way he captains. All I can say is, his style of captaincy is something that he has certainly worked on. It's not something that you can just walk out of the door and you are a brave captain." The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter said even during his playing days, he had to put on an 'act' in front of the cameras, as Pandya is doing. "Why I said it's always not genuine is because I played exactly the same way. I was not the soft-spoken, genuine AB de Villiers that I was at my home. The guy you saw on the field was in a way 'an act'. Sometimes, you have to put up a front and show the opposition that you are a force to reckon with." While Pandya reached two finals with GT, he failed to take MI into the playoffs, becoming the first team to crash out of IPL 2024. MI will now face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Friday (May 17) at the Wankhede Stadium in what will be their final game of the season. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2024: Gautam Gambhir schools AB de Villiers for criticising Hardik Pandya

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<p>All is not well in the Mumbai Indians (MI) camp as factions continue to emerge ever since Hardik Pandya returned to the franchise as the new captain. It has now been reported that Rohit Sharma and Pandya are not even practising with each other in the middle.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>A report in <em>Dainik Jagran </em>has claimed that Rohit, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma got up and left the space as soon as Hardik came out to bat in the nets. The incident transpired before the match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) which MI lost after failing to chase a 158-run target.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prior to&nbsp;the match, Rohit was sitting on the sidelines with Suryakumar and Tilak when Hardik came out to bat. Seeing the captain walk out for practice, the trio reportedly got up and walked to the other side of the ground.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Meeting held to discuss Pandya's captaincy&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Additionally, Rohit's chat with the KKR assistant coach Abhishek Nayar went viral on social media, showing that there was friction in the MI dressing camp. The chat seemingly confirmed that it was Rohit's last year with MI as he sought to move to a new franchise during the mega auction.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Another recent report in Indian Express, citing sources close to MI claimed that senior Indian players of the team, viz. Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit and Suryakumar held a meeting, voicing their displeasure over&nbsp;Pandya's&nbsp;style of captaincy, suggesting that the team had lost its joy and morale as the season dragged on.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The source said the meeting was necessitated&nbsp;as the team that was captained by Rohit for the last&nbsp;10&nbsp;years,&nbsp;was still coming to terms with the change of guard.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“These are regular teething problems for a team that sees leadership change.&nbsp;This&nbsp;happens in sports all the time,”&nbsp;an MI official said.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/rift-brewing-in-mi-star-indian-players-hold-meeting-to-discuss-hardik-pandyas-captaincy-719710"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Rift brewing in MI? Star Indian players hold meeting to discuss Hardik Pandya's captaincy</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>Pandya faces criticism</strong></h2>

<p>Pandya has invited criticism from pundits for not having a Plan B when things go south for him. Additionally, his tendency to single out players has not gone down well within the MI camp.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Notably, after&nbsp;MI's&nbsp;loss to&nbsp;Delhi Capitals, Pandya said Tilak should have targeted Axar Patel more and attributed the defeat to a lack of game knowledge.</p>

<p>However,&nbsp;Pandya's&nbsp;criticism felt misplaced as Varma&nbsp;remains&nbsp;Mumbai's&nbsp;highest run-scorer this season and had a fantastic inning, scoring 63 runs off of 32 deliveries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>MI will now face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Friday (May 17) at the Wankhede Stadium in what will be their final game of the season.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


All is not well in the Mumbai Indians (MI) camp as factions continue to emerge ever since Hardik Pandya returned to the franchise as the new captain. It has now been reported that Rohit Sharma and Pandya are not even practising with each other in the middle.

All is not well in the Mumbai Indians (MI) camp as factions continue to emerge ever since Hardik Pandya returned to the franchise as the new captain. It has now been reported that Rohit Sharma and Pandya are not even practising with each other in the middle. A report in Dainik Jagran has claimed that Rohit, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma got up and left the space as soon as Hardik came out to bat in the nets. The incident transpired before the match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) which MI lost after failing to chase a 158-run target. Prior to the match, Rohit was sitting on the sidelines with Suryakumar and Tilak when Hardik came out to bat. Seeing the captain walk out for practice, the trio reportedly got up and walked to the other side of the ground. Meeting held to discuss Pandya's captaincy Additionally, Rohit's chat with the KKR assistant coach Abhishek Nayar went viral on social media, showing that there was friction in the MI dressing camp. The chat seemingly confirmed that it was Rohit's last year with MI as he sought to move to a new franchise during the mega auction. Another recent report in Indian Express, citing sources close to MI claimed that senior Indian players of the team, viz. Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit and Suryakumar held a meeting, voicing their displeasure over Pandya's style of captaincy, suggesting that the team had lost its joy and morale as the season dragged on. The source said the meeting was necessitated as the team that was captained by Rohit for the last 10 years, was still coming to terms with the change of guard. “These are regular teething problems for a team that sees leadership change. This happens in sports all the time,” an MI official said. Also read | Rift brewing in MI? Star Indian players hold meeting to discuss Hardik Pandya's captaincy Pandya faces criticism Pandya has invited criticism from pundits for not having a Plan B when things go south for him. Additionally, his tendency to single out players has not gone down well within the MI camp. Notably, after MI's loss to Delhi Capitals, Pandya said Tilak should have targeted Axar Patel more and attributed the defeat to a lack of game knowledge. However, Pandya's criticism felt misplaced as Varma remains Mumbai's highest run-scorer this season and had a fantastic inning, scoring 63 runs off of 32 deliveries. MI will now face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Friday (May 17) at the Wankhede Stadium in what will be their final game of the season. (With inputs from agencies)

MI camp in disarray? Star players avoid Hardik Pandya as he comes to bat in nets: Report

<p>Legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers has hit back after his comments regarding Hardik Pandya's captaincy were seemingly misconstrued.&nbsp;De Villiers expressed disappointment over the issue,&nbsp;adding he loves the way Hardik leads a team.</p>

<p>ABD issued the response after he suggested Pandya's captaincy was "ego-driven" which had brought him success at Gujarat Titans but the seniors in the MI camp were unable to adjust to such a style of captaincy.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I see there is a lot of activity on X about the comments I made about Hardik Pandya and Mumbai Indians. And it's a shame that journalism and reporting has got so low (laughs). And I am very happy that some of you have pointed it out, taking some of those comments out and leaving the rest," De Villiers said in a video posted on his YouTube channel.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I very clearly stated and I will state this again -- I absolutely love the way Hardik Pandya plays his game. I love the way he captains. All I can say is, his style of captaincy is something that he has certainly worked on. It's not something that you can just walk out of the door and you are a brave captain."</p>

<p>The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter said even during his playing days, he had to put on an 'act' in front of the cameras, as Pandya is doing,&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Why I said it's always not genuine is because I played exactly the same way. I was not the soft-spoken, genuine AB de Villiers that I was at my home. The guy you saw on the field was in a way 'an act'. Sometimes, you have to put up a front and show the opposition that you are a force to reckon with."&nbsp;</p>

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C66KVPeNtaX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by AB de Villiers (@abdevilliers17)</a></p>
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<h2><strong>Rift in MI camp?</strong></h2>

<p>A recent Indian Express report, citing sources close to MI stated that senior Indian players of the team viz. Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav held a meeting, voicing their displeasure over&nbsp;Pandya's&nbsp;style of captaincy, suggesting that the team had lost its joy and morale as the season dragged on.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The source said the meeting was necessitated&nbsp;as the team that was captained by Rohit for the last&nbsp;10&nbsp;years,&nbsp;was still coming to terms with the change of guard.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/rift-brewing-in-mi-star-indian-players-hold-meeting-to-discuss-hardik-pandyas-captaincy-719710"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Rift brewing in MI? Star Indian players hold meeting to discuss Hardik Pandya's captaincy</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>Pandya faces criticism</strong></h2>

<p>Pandya has invited criticism from pundits for not having a Plan B when things get south for him. Additionally, his tendency to single out players has not gone down well within the MI camp.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Notably, after&nbsp;MI's&nbsp;loss against the Delhi Capitals, Pandya said Tilak Varma should have targeted Axar Patel more and attributed the defeat to a lack of game knowledge.</p>

<p>However,&nbsp;Pandya's&nbsp;criticism felt misplaced as Varma&nbsp;remains&nbsp;Mumbai's&nbsp;highest run-scorer this season and had a fantastic inning, scoring 63 runs off of 32 deliveries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>MI will now face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Friday (May 17) at the Wankhede Stadium in what will be their final game of the season.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers has hit back after his comments regarding Hardik Pandya's captaincy were seemingly misconstrued. De Villiers expressed disappointment over the issue, adding he loves the way Hardik leads a team.

Legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers has hit back after his comments regarding Hardik Pandya's captaincy were seemingly misconstrued. De Villiers expressed disappointment over the issue, adding he loves the way Hardik leads a team. ABD issued the response after he suggested Pandya's captaincy was "ego-driven" which had brought him success at Gujarat Titans but the seniors in the MI camp were unable to adjust to such a style of captaincy. "I see there is a lot of activity on X about the comments I made about Hardik Pandya and Mumbai Indians. And it's a shame that journalism and reporting has got so low (laughs). And I am very happy that some of you have pointed it out, taking some of those comments out and leaving the rest," De Villiers said in a video posted on his YouTube channel. "I very clearly stated and I will state this again -- I absolutely love the way Hardik Pandya plays his game. I love the way he captains. All I can say is, his style of captaincy is something that he has certainly worked on. It's not something that you can just walk out of the door and you are a brave captain." The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter said even during his playing days, he had to put on an 'act' in front of the cameras, as Pandya is doing, "Why I said it's always not genuine is because I played exactly the same way. I was not the soft-spoken, genuine AB de Villiers that I was at my home. The guy you saw on the field was in a way 'an act'. Sometimes, you have to put up a front and show the opposition that you are a force to reckon with." View this post on Instagram A post shared by AB de Villiers (@abdevilliers17) × Rift in MI camp? A recent Indian Express report, citing sources close to MI stated that senior Indian players of the team viz. Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav held a meeting, voicing their displeasure over Pandya's style of captaincy, suggesting that the team had lost its joy and morale as the season dragged on. The source said the meeting was necessitated as the team that was captained by Rohit for the last 10 years, was still coming to terms with the change of guard. Also read | Rift brewing in MI? Star Indian players hold meeting to discuss Hardik Pandya's captaincy Pandya faces criticism Pandya has invited criticism from pundits for not having a Plan B when things get south for him. Additionally, his tendency to single out players has not gone down well within the MI camp. Notably, after MI's loss against the Delhi Capitals, Pandya said Tilak Varma should have targeted Axar Patel more and attributed the defeat to a lack of game knowledge. However, Pandya's criticism felt misplaced as Varma remains Mumbai's highest run-scorer this season and had a fantastic inning, scoring 63 runs off of 32 deliveries. MI will now face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Friday (May 17) at the Wankhede Stadium in what will be their final game of the season. (With inputs from agencies)

‘It’s a shame...’: AB de Villiers issues clarification on misquoted Hardik Pandya comments

<p>Rohit Sharma could be playing his last few games for Team India in T20Is as there are reports indicating that the all-format skipper is set to retire from the format after the 2024 T20 World Cup. The mega event kicks off in the West Indies and USA in June with India placed in Group A along with arch-rivals Pakistan, Ireland, USA and Canada. This will be Rohit's second successive T20 WC as the Indian captain. In the 2022 edition, India ended as semifinalists under Hitman's captaincy in the marquee event held in Australia.</p>

<p>As per a report carried out by Dainik Jagran, Rohit is likely to bid adieu to T20Is and the T20 WC could prove to be his last few appearances in the format. Meanwhile, the report further revealed that Hardik Pandya was picked in India's T20 WC squad not for his performances, which have been ordinary in IPL 2024, but for the fact that the BCCI is looking at him as the future T20I skipper (prompting the BCCI selectors to not only pick Hardik but name him Rohit's deputy in the squad).</p>

<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rahul-dravid-unlikely-to-reapply-for-indias-head-coach-position-reports-720881">Rahul Dravid unlikely to reapply for India’s head coach position – Reports</a></strong></p>

<p>While these are all reports, it will be interesting to see if any BCCI senior official or someone from the Indian team management reacts to all these rumours. In another report, it is believed that the BCCI selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar and captain Rohit weren't in favour of including Hardik in the T20 WC squad. Hardik hasn't featured for India since his injury during the ODI WC at home last year. In IPL 2024, he marked his return to competitive cricket but the all-rounder has failed to make a strong impact with both bat and ball.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, Agarkar and Rohit were pressured to include Hardik in the mix. While the report didn't mention what this pressure was and whom it came from, it is believed that it came from the upper brass within the BCCI who is looking at Hardik as the future Indian captain -- at least in T20Is.&nbsp;</p>


Rohit Sharma could be playing his last few games for Team India in T20Is as there are reports indicating that the all-format skipper is set to retire from the format after the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Rohit Sharma could be playing his last few games for Team India in T20Is as there are reports indicating that the all-format skipper is set to retire from the format after the 2024 T20 World Cup. The mega event kicks off in the West Indies and USA in June with India placed in Group A along with arch-rivals Pakistan, Ireland, USA and Canada. This will be Rohit's second successive T20 WC as the Indian captain. In the 2022 edition, India ended as semifinalists under Hitman's captaincy in the marquee event held in Australia. As per a report carried out by Dainik Jagran, Rohit is likely to bid adieu to T20Is and the T20 WC could prove to be his last few appearances in the format. Meanwhile, the report further revealed that Hardik Pandya was picked in India's T20 WC squad not for his performances, which have been ordinary in IPL 2024, but for the fact that the BCCI is looking at him as the future T20I skipper (prompting the BCCI selectors to not only pick Hardik but name him Rohit's deputy in the squad). Also read: Rahul Dravid unlikely to reapply for India’s head coach position – Reports While these are all reports, it will be interesting to see if any BCCI senior official or someone from the Indian team management reacts to all these rumours. In another report, it is believed that the BCCI selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar and captain Rohit weren't in favour of including Hardik in the T20 WC squad. Hardik hasn't featured for India since his injury during the ODI WC at home last year. In IPL 2024, he marked his return to competitive cricket but the all-rounder has failed to make a strong impact with both bat and ball. However, Agarkar and Rohit were pressured to include Hardik in the mix. While the report didn't mention what this pressure was and whom it came from, it is believed that it came from the upper brass within the BCCI who is looking at Hardik as the future Indian captain -- at least in T20Is.

Rohit set to retire from T20Is post T20 World Cup, Hardik added in India squad on ‘pressure’ - Report

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidlVXV9DFSNQtR" /></p>

<p>Indian cricket coach Rahul Dravid will have his tasks cut out during the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA starting June 1. While ensuring the Men in Blue are successful in their quest to win an ICC tournament would be his primary job, Dravid would also have to bring Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya together in a happier space. Although there is no rift per se, several social media reports suggested that both&nbsp;didn't&nbsp;share the best times in Mumbai&nbsp;Indians’&nbsp;dressing room since&nbsp;Pandya’s&nbsp;appointment as the new captain.</p>

<p>Bhogle wrote on the microblogging website X, saying he is astounded&nbsp;at how Mumbai performed this season, how despite having been&nbsp;one of the favourites at the start, they failed to make the most of this chance.</p>

<p>He wrote,&nbsp;“The capitulation of #MI has to be the&nbsp;story of the tournament. A very large no of us believed they would make the playoffs. But given that it has not happened, we must look at it from an India perspective. Rahul&nbsp;Dravid's&nbsp;biggest immediate job would be to get two key players, the captain and the vice-captain, back in a good space and, critically, in form.”&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The capitulation of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MI</a> has to be the story of the tournament. A very large no of us believed they would make the play-offs. But given that it has not happened, we must look at it from an India perspective. Rahul Dravid's biggest immediate job would be to get two key players, the…</p>
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<p>Playing their second-last game this season at the Eden Gardens against KKR the other night, MI lost by 18 runs, losing their ninth game this season. Although former captain Rohit is terribly out of touch since scoring a hundred against CSK at home, captain Pandya also struggled in every aspect of the game, including leadership.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2024-ms-dhoni-to-play-his-last-match-csk-requests-fans-to-stay-back-after-clash-vs-rr-720597">IPL 2024: MS Dhoni to play his last match? CSK requests fans to stay back after clash vs RR</a></strong></p>

<p>Meanwhile, since Pandya was named&nbsp;Rohit’s&nbsp;successor at MI, the situation inside the dressing room has been a bit gloomy. Although they worked and trained as a team, several media reports suggested something else.</p>

<p>Besides, Mumbai&nbsp;Indians’&nbsp;performance dipped this season, with none of their star players, barring Suryakumar Yadav, managing to put up runs on the board. Jasprit Bumrah was their top bowler once again, but none could match his standards, leaving the&nbsp;side’s&nbsp;chances of making the top four in the mud.</p>

<h2>India gets ready for T20&nbsp;WC</h2>

<p>India&nbsp;is drawn&nbsp;in Group A alongside co-hosts USA, Canada, Ireland and arch-rivals Pakistan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The marquee match between two Asian giants will&nbsp;take place&nbsp;in New York on June 9.&nbsp;</p>


Indian cricket coach Rahul Dravid will have his tasks cut out during the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA starting June 1. While ensuring the Men in Blue are successful in their quest to win an ICC tournament would be his primary job, Dravid would also have to bring Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya together in a happier space.

Indian cricket coach Rahul Dravid will have his tasks cut out during the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA starting June 1. While ensuring the Men in Blue are successful in their quest to win an ICC tournament would be his primary job, Dravid would also have to bring Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya together in a happier space. Although there is no rift per se, several social media reports suggested that both didn't share the best times in Mumbai Indians’ dressing room since Pandya’s appointment as the new captain. Bhogle wrote on the microblogging website X, saying he is astounded at how Mumbai performed this season, how despite having been one of the favourites at the start, they failed to make the most of this chance. He wrote, “The capitulation of #MI has to be the story of the tournament. A very large no of us believed they would make the playoffs. But given that it has not happened, we must look at it from an India perspective. Rahul Dravid's biggest immediate job would be to get two key players, the captain and the vice-captain, back in a good space and, critically, in form.” The capitulation of #MI has to be the story of the tournament. A very large no of us believed they would make the play-offs. But given that it has not happened, we must look at it from an India perspective. Rahul Dravid's biggest immediate job would be to get two key players, the… — Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 12, 2024 × Playing their second-last game this season at the Eden Gardens against KKR the other night, MI lost by 18 runs, losing their ninth game this season. Although former captain Rohit is terribly out of touch since scoring a hundred against CSK at home, captain Pandya also struggled in every aspect of the game, including leadership. ALSO READ: IPL 2024: MS Dhoni to play his last match? CSK requests fans to stay back after clash vs RR Meanwhile, since Pandya was named Rohit’s successor at MI, the situation inside the dressing room has been a bit gloomy. Although they worked and trained as a team, several media reports suggested something else. Besides, Mumbai Indians’ performance dipped this season, with none of their star players, barring Suryakumar Yadav, managing to put up runs on the board. Jasprit Bumrah was their top bowler once again, but none could match his standards, leaving the side’s chances of making the top four in the mud. India gets ready for T20 WC India is drawn in Group A alongside co-hosts USA, Canada, Ireland and arch-rivals Pakistan. The marquee match between two Asian giants will take place in New York on June 9.

T20 WC: Coach Dravid must put Rohit and Hardik back in good space, reckons Harsha Bhogle

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<p>Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya gracefully accepted his&nbsp;side’s&nbsp;defeat at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024, saying they&nbsp;didn’t&nbsp;apply themselves batting-wise despite sitting in a comfortable position early on in the chase. Pandya said the openers laid the foundation, but with the middle-order collapse, they fell behind in the run chase. Moreover, considering the form of two T20 World Cup-bound players – Rohit Sharma and the skipper himself, it adds to the worry for Indian Cricket fans.</p>

<p>Mumbai bowled first after winning the toss, restricting KKR to 157 for seven in 16 overs, with Jasprit Bumrah and Piyush Chawla returning with two wickets each.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The travelling MI side got off to a flyer with Rohit and Ishan Kishan adding 65 runs inside seven overs. However, losing five wickets for 27 runs later cost MI, as they failed to pick up momentum and go for the win.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-shreyas-iyers-manifestation-worked-as-kkr-becomes-1st-team-to-qualify-for-playoff-720518">IPL 2024: Shreyas Iyer’s manifestation worked as KKR becomes 1st team to qualify for playoff</a></strong></p>

<p>“As a batting unit, the foundation was there, but we could not capitalise,&nbsp;and that&nbsp;cost us.&nbsp;The wicket was tacky, so momentum was important, but&nbsp;after that,&nbsp;we&nbsp;couldn't&nbsp;capitalise,”&nbsp;Hardik said during the post-match presser.</p>

<p>“Their score was par, given&nbsp;the conditions, I thought the bowlers did well. When the balls returned from the boundary, it hit the cover and was wet. They did well. It seemed par&nbsp;but&nbsp;was&nbsp;a winning total.&nbsp;Just&nbsp;want to go and&nbsp;enjoy,&nbsp;play good cricket.&nbsp;That's&nbsp;been the motto from the start, but we&nbsp;haven't&nbsp;played enough good cricket,”&nbsp;the new captain continued.</p>

<h2>Rohit’s&nbsp;form a worry for Team India</h2>

<p>Meanwhile, Rohit&nbsp;hasn’t&nbsp;looked in his element since completing his first hundred this season against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede. Not only did he register a series of low scores, but&nbsp;the fashion he got out in those games was worrying. Something similar happened against KKR when he got out, caught while playing a half-hearted sweep shot off Varun.</p>

<p>Considering his current form heading into the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA starting June 1, the picture looks gloomy with the question of how he will find form during the tournament.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Besides, MI captain&nbsp;Pandya’s&nbsp;overall performance has been below par this season. In 13 matches played, Pandya has scored just 200 runs at a strike rate of under 145, with 46 being his best. With the ball in hand, Pandya has picked 11 wickets at an economy of over ten, sending worrying signs to the Indian Team fans.&nbsp;</p>


Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya gracefully accepted his side’s defeat at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024, saying they didn’t apply themselves batting-wise despite sitting in a comfortable position early on in the chase.

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya gracefully accepted his side’s defeat at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024, saying they didn’t apply themselves batting-wise despite sitting in a comfortable position early on in the chase. Pandya said the openers laid the foundation, but with the middle-order collapse, they fell behind in the run chase. Moreover, considering the form of two T20 World Cup-bound players – Rohit Sharma and the skipper himself, it adds to the worry for Indian Cricket fans. Mumbai bowled first after winning the toss, restricting KKR to 157 for seven in 16 overs, with Jasprit Bumrah and Piyush Chawla returning with two wickets each. The travelling MI side got off to a flyer with Rohit and Ishan Kishan adding 65 runs inside seven overs. However, losing five wickets for 27 runs later cost MI, as they failed to pick up momentum and go for the win. ALSO READ: IPL 2024: Shreyas Iyer’s manifestation worked as KKR becomes 1st team to qualify for playoff “As a batting unit, the foundation was there, but we could not capitalise, and that cost us. The wicket was tacky, so momentum was important, but after that, we couldn't capitalise,” Hardik said during the post-match presser. “Their score was par, given the conditions, I thought the bowlers did well. When the balls returned from the boundary, it hit the cover and was wet. They did well. It seemed par but was a winning total. Just want to go and enjoy, play good cricket. That's been the motto from the start, but we haven't played enough good cricket,” the new captain continued. Rohit’s form a worry for Team India Meanwhile, Rohit hasn’t looked in his element since completing his first hundred this season against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede. Not only did he register a series of low scores, but the fashion he got out in those games was worrying. Something similar happened against KKR when he got out, caught while playing a half-hearted sweep shot off Varun. Considering his current form heading into the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA starting June 1, the picture looks gloomy with the question of how he will find form during the tournament. Besides, MI captain Pandya’s overall performance has been below par this season. In 13 matches played, Pandya has scored just 200 runs at a strike rate of under 145, with 46 being his best. With the ball in hand, Pandya has picked 11 wickets at an economy of over ten, sending worrying signs to the Indian Team fans.

IPL: Pandya hails MI bowlers in KKR defeat but seniors’ poor form worries fans as T20 World Cup looms

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<p>Hardik&nbsp;Pandya’s&nbsp;appointment as Mumbai&nbsp;Indians’&nbsp;new skipper, replacing Rohit Sharma,&nbsp;didn’t&nbsp;reap any rewards, at least considering this season, as they became the first team to get knocked out of IPL 2024. With a series of poor performances despite having the best players for each position,&nbsp;MI’s&nbsp;inability to click together is disappointing. Meanwhile, former RCB great AB de Villiers pinpointed where the problem lies.</p>

<p>Addressing his concerns regarding&nbsp;Mumbai’s&nbsp;downfall this season under the new leader, de Villiers said&nbsp;Pandya’s&nbsp;ego-driven captaincy style was successful at Gujarat Titans, where he even won the IPL trophy in his first season as the GT skipper, but it’s&nbsp;not going to produce the same results&nbsp;at MI.</p>

<p>With several reports of a rift inside the MI dressing room already doing the rounds, AB de&nbsp;Villiers'&nbsp;latest remarks help everyone connect the dots.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Explaining what difference it makes, de Villiers said younger players might follow that kind of leadership, but with so many seniors around, much like at MI, a&nbsp;cool&nbsp;and calm approach works better.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2024-were-managing-his-workload-stephen-fleming-comments-on-ms-dhonis-status-in-csk-playing-xi-719838">IPL 2024: We're managing his workload, Stephen Fleming comments on MS Dhoni's status in CSK Playing XI</a></strong></p>

<p>“The captaincy style of Hardik Pandya is quite bravado.&nbsp;It's&nbsp;ego-driven in a way, chest out. I&nbsp;don't&nbsp;think how he walks on the field is always genuine, but he has decided that is his way of captaincy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Almost like MS. Cool, calm, collective, always got your chest out. But when you play with&nbsp;a lot of&nbsp;experienced players, guys who have been around for ages...&nbsp;they&nbsp;don't&nbsp;buy into that.</p>

<p>"It worked at GT, where it was a younger team. Sometimes, inexperienced players love to follow that kind of leadership,"&nbsp;de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Pandya’s&nbsp;style led to decline in&nbsp;team’s&nbsp;morale</h2>

<p>Per the latest reports,&nbsp;certain&nbsp;seniors, including former captain Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah at MI held a meeting discussing how&nbsp;Pandya’s&nbsp;captaincy style led to decline in&nbsp;team’s&nbsp;morale, eventually for the unit to fall apart and not click during this season.</p>

<p>Let alone his captaincy,&nbsp;Pandya’s&nbsp;performance has been in mud this year across all departments. While he has just scored 198 runs from 12 contested matches, he has picked 12 wickets at an economy of over ten.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Looking at his performances, it remains to see how he leads MI in the remaining two matches this season.&nbsp;</p>


Hardik Pandya’s appointment as Mumbai Indians’ new skipper, replacing Rohit Sharma, didn’t reap any rewards, at least considering this season, as they became the first team to get knocked out of IPL 2024.

Hardik Pandya’s appointment as Mumbai Indians’ new skipper, replacing Rohit Sharma, didn’t reap any rewards, at least considering this season, as they became the first team to get knocked out of IPL 2024. With a series of poor performances despite having the best players for each position, MI’s inability to click together is disappointing. Meanwhile, former RCB great AB de Villiers pinpointed where the problem lies. Addressing his concerns regarding Mumbai’s downfall this season under the new leader, de Villiers said Pandya’s ego-driven captaincy style was successful at Gujarat Titans, where he even won the IPL trophy in his first season as the GT skipper, but it’s not going to produce the same results at MI. With several reports of a rift inside the MI dressing room already doing the rounds, AB de Villiers' latest remarks help everyone connect the dots. Explaining what difference it makes, de Villiers said younger players might follow that kind of leadership, but with so many seniors around, much like at MI, a cool and calm approach works better. ALSO READ: IPL 2024: We're managing his workload, Stephen Fleming comments on MS Dhoni's status in CSK Playing XI “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. Cool, calm, collective, always got your chest out. But 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 said on his YouTube channel. Pandya’s style led to decline in team’s morale Per the latest reports, certain seniors, including former captain Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah at MI held a meeting discussing how Pandya’s captaincy style led to decline in team’s morale, eventually for the unit to fall apart and not click during this season. Let alone his captaincy, Pandya’s performance has been in mud this year across all departments. While he has just scored 198 runs from 12 contested matches, he has picked 12 wickets at an economy of over ten. Looking at his performances, it remains to see how he leads MI in the remaining two matches this season.

IPL 2024: Seniors at MI don’t buy Pandya’s ego-driven captaincy style, says AB de Villiers

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