AB de Villiers Slams ‘Egoistic’ Mumbai Indian Captain Hardik Pandya

Former South African cricket captain, AB de Villiers has given his two cents on Hardik Pandya’s leadership skill, expressing concerns that his “ego-driven” approach has not sit well with the senior players in the Mumbai Indians side.

Mumbai Indians currently are at the bottom of the points table, and it’s easy to see why. Hardik Pandya took over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma for the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season and has since faced criticism not just from the fans but also from experts for his lackluster performances both as a player and as a captain.

De Villiers, speaking on his YouTube channel, pointed out that while Pandya’s leadership style worked well with a younger team like Gujarat Titans, where he led them to IPL success in previous seasons, it may not be as effective with a team boasting seasoned players. The former Royal Challenger Banglore (RCB) player stated,

The captaincy style of Hardik Pandya is quite bravado. It’s ego-driven in a way, chest out… But the problem with that is if you play with a lot of experienced players, guys who have been around for ages, they don’t buy into that.

Drawing comparisons to his own experience under former South African skipper Graeme Smith, de Villiers highlighted the importance of adapting leadership styles to suit the team’s dynamics. He suggested that Pandya may need to adjust his approach to focus more on providing guidance and input, rather than projecting bravado.

“I’m not having a go at Hardik,” de Villiers clarified, expressing his admiration for Pandya’s playing style. “It takes a special senior player to buy into that and say ‘You know what? You put your chest out, fake it out there, and we’ll follow you, no matter what We understand you.’ I don’t think that has clicked in the season for Mumbai Indians.”

Check out his full YouTube video here: