It worked at GT, where it was a younger team: Villiers

Graeme Smith was out there for the team: Villiers

I love watching Hardik play: Villiers

Mumbai Indians (MI) have not had a great run in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The transfer of captaincy to Hardik Pandya ahead of the season could be a factor why they are currently in the last spot on the points table. Former South African batsman AB  de Villiers opined on this issue on his YouTube channel. “The 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 the field is always genuine, but he has decided that is his way of captaincy. Almost like MS Dhoni. Cool, calm, collective, always got your chest out. When you play with a lot of experienced players, guys who have been around for ages, they 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. 

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AB de Villiers recollected his experience under former South African captain Graeme Smith. Graeme Smith was handed the captaincy at a young age after  the unforeseen expulsion of Hansie Cronje. “I remember Graeme Smith. He was out there for the team. All I needed to do as a youngster was to follow. Now, there’s Rohit, there’s Bumrah. They go like, ‘All we need you to be is calm. Give us a bit of input on how to win matches. We don’t need the bravado’.  I’m not having a go at Hardik. I love watching him play. I love him putting out his chest because I was like that. I believed that as a batter, sometimes, you’ve got to fake it to make it,” he added.