Ace India all-rounder <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/hardik-pandya" rel="dofollow">Hardik Pandya</a>, who replaced <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma" rel="dofollow">Rohit Sharma</a> as IPL franchise Mumbai Indians captain last season, suffered wrath from the fans over this shocking decision, with countless present at each venue MI played at kept booing him left, right and centre. Ahead of the 18th edition, starting March 22, Pandya opened up about the whole episode and how he felt throughout.
With the team captain not feeling in his element, he failed to guide the side into the top four, as they finished at the bottom of the points table, with just four wins in 14 matches. Pandya performed below par that season, scoring 216 runs and picking just 11 wickets.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/massive-boost-for-rajasthan-royals-as-star-indian-duo-joins-squad-ahead-of-ipl-2025-sanju-samson-yashasvi-jaiswal-8859055" rel="dofollow">Massive boost for Rajasthan Royals as star Indian duo joins squad ahead of IPL 2025</a>
However, as the irony of life had it, the same crowd welcomed him with open arms after he helped India win the T20 World Cup in the Americas two months later, with a sea of supporters surrounding Team India&rsquo;s open bus parade near the Marine Drive and at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Opening up on the whole episode and how it made him feel, Pandya said, &ldquo;It's always about when you don't leave the battlefield."
"For me, it was about surviving, maybe not winning. That year was a year where, for the longest time, I had to hold my ground, not leave the battlefield, which was the ground. I realised how everything was panning out, that cricket will be my best friend, and he will get me out of it," Pandya said during an episode of JioStar's 'Superstars'.
<h2>'No better script'</h2>
Reflecting on how life played its part in turning the tables around, Pandya said he kept pushing, and all his hard work paid off, adding he couldn&rsquo;t have written a better script.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-srh-ishan-kishan-sends-warning-signs-with-star-show-in-intra-squad-games-watch-8858884" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: SRH&rsquo;s Ishan Kishan sends warning signs with star show in intra-squad games &ndash; Watch</a>
"Yeah, it kept, I kept pushing, kept pushing. And I think when all the hard work and everything came, I don't think I wouldn't be able to write a script, which it turned out to be in my life.&nbsp;
&ldquo;That six months of my phase, where winning the World Cup, and coming back and getting the kind of love we got. I think it was a complete 360-degree turnaround for me. And I think cricket was something which I knew that if I be persistent if I be honest with my work, if I be really hardworking, I think I'll be able to come out of this. But when I didn't know, as exactly said, it was written in the script by the God where it turned out to be two and a half months," he added.
Meanwhile, Pandya will be leading the Mumbai Indians side this season, where they face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the marquee clash on Sunday evening.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: Ahead of the 18th edition, starting March 22, Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya opened up about the whole episode and how he felt throughout.

Ace India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who replaced Rohit Sharma as IPL franchise Mumbai Indians captain last season, suffered wrath from the fans over this shocking decision, with countless present at each venue MI played at kept booing him left, right and centre. Ahead of the 18th edition, starting March 22, Pandya opened up about the whole episode and how he felt throughout. With the team captain not feeling in his element, he failed to guide the side into the top four, as they finished at the bottom of the points table, with just four wins in 14 matches. Pandya performed below par that season, scoring 216 runs and picking just 11 wickets. Also read | Massive boost for Rajasthan Royals as star Indian duo joins squad ahead of IPL 2025 However, as the irony of life had it, the same crowd welcomed him with open arms after he helped India win the T20 World Cup in the Americas two months later, with a sea of supporters surrounding Team India’s open bus parade near the Marine Drive and at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Opening up on the whole episode and how it made him feel, Pandya said, “It's always about when you don't leave the battlefield." "For me, it was about surviving, maybe not winning. That year was a year where, for the longest time, I had to hold my ground, not leave the battlefield, which was the ground. I realised how everything was panning out, that cricket will be my best friend, and he will get me out of it," Pandya said during an episode of JioStar's 'Superstars'. 'No better script' Reflecting on how life played its part in turning the tables around, Pandya said he kept pushing, and all his hard work paid off, adding he couldn’t have written a better script. Also read | IPL 2025: SRH’s Ishan Kishan sends warning signs with star show in intra-squad games – Watch "Yeah, it kept, I kept pushing, kept pushing. And I think when all the hard work and everything came, I don't think I wouldn't be able to write a script, which it turned out to be in my life. “That six months of my phase, where winning the World Cup, and coming back and getting the kind of love we got. I think it was a complete 360-degree turnaround for me. And I think cricket was something which I knew that if I be persistent if I be honest with my work, if I be really hardworking, I think I'll be able to come out of this. But when I didn't know, as exactly said, it was written in the script by the God where it turned out to be two and a half months," he added. Meanwhile, Pandya will be leading the Mumbai Indians side this season, where they face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the marquee clash on Sunday evening. (With inputs from agencies)

‘For me, it was about surviving,’ says Hardik Pandya on fans booing him in IPL 2024

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ms-dhoni" rel="dofollow">MS Dhoni</a> is a cricketing genius for what he did in the game, for what he brings to the game and how he dictates the game. Known to be a cunning mind behind the wickets, Thala, as cricket fans call him has a fan in one of IPL 2025&rsquo;s millionaires -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/venkatesh-iyer" rel="dofollow">Venkatesh Iyer</a> from Kolkata Knight Riders. Reflecting on one of the instances from the last season, Iyer explained how Dhoni&rsquo;s tactics bamboozled him.
During an encounter between the CSK and the KKR the past season, at the Chepauk in Chennai, Iyer got out early on just three in the first innings, with Ravindra Jadeja picking his wicket. However, the setup behind Iyer&rsquo;s dismissal was where he got gobsmacked.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/price-tag-pressure-exists-but-once-youre-kkrs-venkatesh-iyer-ahead-of-ipl-2025-8856015" rel="dofollow">&lsquo;Price tag pressure exists but once you&rsquo;re&hellip;,&rsquo; KKR&rsquo;s Venkatesh Iyer ahead of IPL 2025</a>
Explaining in detail what happened in the lead-up to it, Iyer said before the ball on which he got out, Dhoni changed the field, moving a fielder from the deep square leg to the short third, leaving Iyer wondering what was going to happen. And as the worst could have, he found the same fielder on the next ball, leaving him shocked over Dhoni&rsquo;s &lsquo;real captaincy&rsquo;. &nbsp;
&ldquo;Dhoni took out a fielder from deep square leg and placed him at short third, slightly away from the spot where short third usually is. The [very] next ball, I hit straight into short third&rsquo;s hands,&rdquo; Iyer revealed in an interview with The Cricket Monthly.
<h2>How does he do it?</h2>
Intrigued by Dhoni&rsquo;s thoughts, Iyer approached him after the game, questioning how he planned it.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-hints-at-coming-out-of-t20i-retirement-but-only-on-one-condition-olympics-la28-cricket-8856635" rel="dofollow">Virat Kohli hints at coming out of T20I retirement but only on one condition</a>
&ldquo;Post the game, I asked Dhoni why he placed that fielder in that spot and he had a proper answer for it. He was trying to understand the impact of the ball from my bat, the angles. His reading of angles is just out of the world, and he knew that if I hit this shot, it had to go in that direction, so he had a fielder put there. This is being proactive. This is real captaincy: understanding what a batter is doing.
&ldquo;That was the cunning of Dhoni. I could have waited for a couple of balls, but no, the next ball, I hit it there (chuckles), and it just happened. The cameras showed the exact picture of how the field changed and the very next ball I hit there. It is up to the batsman to understand why certain things are being done [on the field],&rdquo; Iyer added.
Meanwhile, Iyer and Dhoni will continue to feature for their respective franchises in IPL 2025. While KKR named Iyer as the new vice-captain, with seasoned campaigner Ajinkya Rahane set to lead the team, MS Dhoni will hog all the limelight but as an uncapped player this time.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: KKR named Iyer the new vice-captain ahead of IPL 2025, while MS Dhoni will continue to hog all the limelight but as an uncapped player this time.

MS Dhoni is a cricketing genius for what he did in the game, for what he brings to the game and how he dictates the game. Known to be a cunning mind behind the wickets, Thala, as cricket fans call him has a fan in one of IPL 2025’s millionaires - Venkatesh Iyer from Kolkata Knight Riders. Reflecting on one of the instances from the last season, Iyer explained how Dhoni’s tactics bamboozled him. During an encounter between the CSK and the KKR the past season, at the Chepauk in Chennai, Iyer got out early on just three in the first innings, with Ravindra Jadeja picking his wicket. However, the setup behind Iyer’s dismissal was where he got gobsmacked. Also read | ‘Price tag pressure exists but once you’re…,’ KKR’s Venkatesh Iyer ahead of IPL 2025 Explaining in detail what happened in the lead-up to it, Iyer said before the ball on which he got out, Dhoni changed the field, moving a fielder from the deep square leg to the short third, leaving Iyer wondering what was going to happen. And as the worst could have, he found the same fielder on the next ball, leaving him shocked over Dhoni’s ‘real captaincy’. “Dhoni took out a fielder from deep square leg and placed him at short third, slightly away from the spot where short third usually is. The [very] next ball, I hit straight into short third’s hands,” Iyer revealed in an interview with The Cricket Monthly. How does he do it? Intrigued by Dhoni’s thoughts, Iyer approached him after the game, questioning how he planned it. Also read | Virat Kohli hints at coming out of T20I retirement but only on one condition “Post the game, I asked Dhoni why he placed that fielder in that spot and he had a proper answer for it. He was trying to understand the impact of the ball from my bat, the angles. His reading of angles is just out of the world, and he knew that if I hit this shot, it had to go in that direction, so he had a fielder put there. This is being proactive. This is real captaincy: understanding what a batter is doing. “That was the cunning of Dhoni. I could have waited for a couple of balls, but no, the next ball, I hit it there (chuckles), and it just happened. The cameras showed the exact picture of how the field changed and the very next ball I hit there. It is up to the batsman to understand why certain things are being done [on the field],” Iyer added. Meanwhile, Iyer and Dhoni will continue to feature for their respective franchises in IPL 2025. While KKR named Iyer as the new vice-captain, with seasoned campaigner Ajinkya Rahane set to lead the team, MS Dhoni will hog all the limelight but as an uncapped player this time. (With inputs from agencies)

‘This is real captaincy’, KKR’s millionaire on how MS Dhoni’s cunningness had him in IPL 2024

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‘For me, it was about surviving,’ says Hardik Pandya on fans booing him in IPL 2024

‘This is real captaincy’, KKR’s millionaire on how MS Dhoni’s cunningness had him in IPL 2024