Hardik Pandya did not get a warm welcome on his Mumbai Indians captaincy debut in his former team Gujarat Titans’ home ground amd Sarah Waris writes about how the hate is unwarranted.

Transitions are never easy for it means bidding farewell to a senior who has been the glue of the pack for several years. The face of the brand. The face who has made them into a brand in the first place. Think CSK and you think of MS Dhoni. Think RCB and there’s Virat Kohli. Legends have come, played and retired around them but the duo stood tall, synonymous to their franchise, giving them identities beyond the tangent.

But there comes a time when they need to walk away. At first, it is tough to digest the immediate impact of the move because, even though changes are the norm of life, no one really likes them.

But, as much as they are detested and dreaded, transitions are necessary. No matter how much we want to cling on, the prime days for every athlete are numbered, and readying the next generation to take on the mantle is a natural next step. Grooming the next leader in the presence of the former is often ideal, as it allows for a smoother passing of the baton with the new captain being guided by his predecessor who has a firmer understanding of how things work.

Ahead of this season, two successful IPL teams moved away from their long-serving skippers as they looked to usher in a new era. Rohit Sharma, India’s current all-format captain, and Dhoni were replaced by Hardik Pandya and Ruturaj Gaikwad, respectively at Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. But while Gaikwad has always been associated with CSK and was shortlisted by Dhoni as the next captain, making it a smoother process, there were more hurdles awaiting Pandya, who was booed constantly in his team’s first game in Ahmedabad for various reasons.

Pandya made his debut with Mumbai Indians in 2015 and over the next six years, went on to become one of the biggest match-winners for the franchise. Scouted by Mumbai, Pandya, a seaming all-rounder, also became a crucial member of the Indian team in different formats. In the age of specialised players, Pandya’s skills with both bat and ball helped balance out India’s XI, making him indispensable.

Clutch performances under pressure, be it in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, the league match against Pakistan or in the semi-final against England at the 2022 T20 World Cup, further showed he was not just an over-hyped player being backed for the potential and rare skill set he possessed.

Ahead of the 2022 IPL mega-auction, Mumbai were caught in a dilemma over their three Indian retentions. Captain Rohit had to be picked, and the choice for the other two spots was between Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah. The last two are the best in the world in their departments, but Pandya provides something rare. Reports emerged that the all-rounder, fresh after returning from a severe back injury, was keen on captaining an IPL team. He had never led any team in any T20 before and his dreams were then termed flamboyant and dissed upon. But he remained adamant.

Mumbai, who already had Rohit in the camp, let him go, as a result. He moved on to captain Gujarat Titans, a franchise in his home state of Gujarat (though he plays for a different Ranji Trophy team), that tasted success in their first year. Gujarat also reached the final the next season as Pandya silenced his critics, proving why people with high aspirations should not be scoffed at.

Two years later, he returned to Mumbai Indians, this time as captain. Reports suggested the all-cash trade from Gujarat also had a captaincy clause attached to it, which paved the way for displacing Rohit. This did not go down well with the fans of both Gujarat and Mumbai. A section felt betrayed by Pandya, while the other was seemingly unhappy at his audacity to replace the Indian skipper if the reactions from the first game are to be believed.

The argument is weak on both sides. The demands for loyalty are high in a team sport by the passionate fans, but in a league that works on the principle of auctions and mega-auctions, shuffling between teams is not rare. Very few have stuck to one team. Their commitment is commendable but it is also a league that presents opportunities to cricketers to secure their future financially. Hardik has a young family and if reports are to be believed, he earned a whopping INR 100 crore aside from his salary of INR 15 crore to move back to Mumbai, all while holding onto his dream of leading a team. Even if the actual figure is a fraction of that number, it is still too good an offer for him, or anyone really, to refuse.

Mumbai fans are also finding it tough to embrace the new skipper with various unconfirmed reports suggesting the former captain Rohit was not informed before Pandya came in, which has led to factions within the camp. Pandya is being blamed for it for if he had not entered the team, there would not have been a divide.

A recent comment by Rohit’s wife Ritika Sajdeh also fuelled the fire. It suggested that Rohit was not entirely on board before being dropped as skipper. It was something the owners and the top management should have handled with more transparency. It was not on Pandya to communicate with the former captain before taking up a dazzling offer. It was also not his duty to seek permission before taking on the new role and the anger seems misplaced towards him. Cryptic posts by Jasprit Bumrah, another senior player in Mumbai and the vice-captain of the Indian Test side, complicated matters, but Hardik should not be blamed for creating any unease that exists.

Mumbai have also decided on Hardik keeping in mind the future. Rohit will turn 37 next month and sooner or later they will be on the lookout for a new skipper. Going back to a player who knows the team environment and has tasted success in his short captaincy stint before another side picks him up is a proactive step. Hardik is also expected to be India’s next T20 skipper and Mumbai will have another big name with them, which will help in better marketing. Appointing him captain now will also allow Rohit to guide Hardik instead of pushing the latter into the deep end, though he has excelled in that role previously with Gujarat, a team not many expected would do well after a lopsided auction in 2022.

Mumbai Indians is now Pandya’s team, even if it is tough to accept. He can run the side according to his will if he has been given the freedom, and this even includes sending Rohit to field in the outfield if he deems it best. There will be decisions that might irk supporters and every failure will lead to comparisons, but it is a step that has long-term benefits for Mumbai and once supporters get a grip on their emotions they might realise why the anger is exaggerated.

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