For the home side, the absence of skipper Shikhar Dhawan, who has been sidelined for a week to 10 days due to a shoulder injury, will put more pressure on the non-performing top order to come of age, and rub off the dust from their bats.
The Statesman understands that the selectors will be looking at adding balance to the side, and in the current scenario, Dube’s stats make him an automatic choice over Pandya, who has been struggling ever since his return to action.
Pollard rated Pandya as one of the great “all-rounders” India has ever produced, and believed that fans will ‘sing praises for him’ soon.
A contest against a floundering RCB could not only bring about their second successive win but also provide them the cushion of confidence, before facing defending champions Chennai Super Kings.
When Mumbai Indians kicked off their IPL 2024 campaign in Ahmedabad against Gujarat Titans, the team that Hardik led for the past couple of seasons, and took them to two finals, besides winning the 2022 edition, the fans booed Hardik,
While the Sunrisers narrowly lost to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their opening fixture as they fell short by four runs in a chase of 209, Mumbai suffered a six-run loss on Hardik Pandya’s return Ahmedabad as an opposition skipper for the first time after leading Gujarat Titans for the past two seasons.
Pandya, who had led the Titans to the title in their debut season in 2022, before ending runners-up in 2023, was hired back by the Mumbai Indians, where he made his debut back in 2015.
On Monday, Hardik addressed the elephant in the room in his first ever appearance back in MI colours, and opened up about how Rohit would help him in the upcoming season.
The former South African stumper said it was “purely a cricketing decision” and the move was viewed as a transition phase for the five-time IPL champions, with all titles won under the leadership of Rohit.
The star all-rounder suffered an ankle injury during India's World Cup 2023 match against Bangladesh, and many reputable media outlets have speculated that he may require a longer sabbatical to be ready for the T20 World Cup 2024.
