'Hardik Pandya's captaincy style is ego-driven': Ab de Villiers rips apart Hardik's fake 'bravado'

Mumbai Indians have had a forgetful campaign after y crashed out of IPL 2024 season. It was a horrendous time under captaincy of Hardik Pandya, which marked a new era in Mumbai-based franchise. However, Pandya failed to replicate  success he had in Gujarat Titans, where he led franchise to a title win in first year of its commencement. Pandya's captaincy is a point of scrutiny among fans and pundits. w that five-time IPL champions have been kicked out of playoffs, Hardik has come to light, and a former cricketer vented his frustration over situation.

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AB de Villiers expresses dissatisfaction over Hardik Pandya's captaincy style, draws parallels with MS Dhoni's MO

Former South Africa and RCB cricketer AB de Villiers opened up on Hardik Pandya's captaincy in one of videos on his YouTube channel.  former cricketer believes  all-rounder's captaincy style may t be right fit for  Mumbai Indians' dressing room. He furr ted his captaincy style as bravado and ego-driven and also compared it to MS Dhoni's modus operandi. 

“MI have been very disappointing. I backed m to qualify for kckout sts, but that didn’t happen. What has gone wrong? 5th in 2021, 10th in 2022, 4th in 2023 and y are 9th. Rohit Sharma said, ‘I have played under a lot of captains. It’s thing new. You do what you are required to do and I have been doing that for last one month.’ You can read a little bit into that if you want to.

“ 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 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 s… y 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,” AB de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.

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Mumbai Indians were first team to be kicked out of playoff race in IPL 2024 season, while Punjab Kings was second. With IPL entering phase of climax, more teams will be left heartbroken after y will miss out, and it will all come down to top four teams in playoffs.