All-rounder extraordinaire Hardik Pandya is gearing up for a triumphant return to the Indian Premier League (IPL) stage, where he will take charge of the Mumbai Indians. After two stellar seasons with the Gujarat Titans, Hardik is coming back to the franchise where his IPL journey began in 2015. Adding a twist to the tale, he has now stepped into the captain’s shoes, displacing the legendary Rohit Sharma.

Currently sidelined due to a knee injury, Hardik recently had a chance to reminisce about his cricketing journey with the five-time champions. Making an appearance on the Star Sports show, ‘Star Nahi Far’, Hardik engaged with fans in a quiz centered around his performances with Mumbai Indians. The crowd was quizzed on various statistics, including Hardik’s total number of half-centuries in the tournament.

Pandya replied to his fan’s thought

During the interaction, one enthusiastic fan recalled Hardik’s blistering 60-run knock off just 21 balls against the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2020. However, to everyone’s surprise, Hardik brushed off the mention, perhaps keeping his focus firmly on the future challenges ahead.

Hardik replied, “We lost that too. I don’t believe in 50s or 100s. Stats are just numbers; it’s a waste of time.” 

In the midst of all the IPL buzz, former India batsman Irfan Pathan weighed in on a different aspect of cricketing politics. Following the exclusion of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from the BCCI central contract due to their absence from domestic cricket, Pathan advocated for fairness. He urged the cricketing board to treat all players equally, including Hardik Pandya, emphasizing the importance of consistent standards across the board.

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India all-rounder Irfan Pathan twitted

“They are talented cricketers, both Shreyas and Ishan. Hoping they bounce back and come back stronger. If players like Hardik don’t want to play red-ball cricket, should he and others like him participate in white-ball domestic cricket when they aren’t on national duty? If this doesn’t apply to all, then Indian cricket won’t achieve the desired results!” 

As Hardik Pandya gears up to lead Mumbai Indians once again, fans eagerly await his return to action, hoping for another season filled with fireworks and unforgettable performances.