Hardik Pandya’s return to Mumbai Indians is a masterstroke by five-time champions, here’s why

When Hardik was not retained ahead of the mega auction in 2021, he hadn’t bowled a single ball for the franchise for a couple of years (2020, 2021). His batting stocks had also fallen drastically in 2021 when he averaged just 14.11 at a strike rate of 113.29.

However, while not retaining him would have been an easier decision at the time, replacing him was the real challenge for Mumbai Indians. To get a suitable alternative, who could deliver consistently at a high level, the franchise had to look for an overseas option.

In 2022, Rohit would occasionally turn to Kieron Pollard with the ball to make up the fifth bowler’s allotment but the big West Indian bowling at military medium was never going to give any batting unit nightmares.

Last season, the franchise brought in Cameron Green who did reasonably well with the ball and was exceptional with the bat coming at the top of the order. But it forced the team management to alter its success mantra of playing two overseas pacers. Mitchell Johnson-Lasit Malinga, Mitchell McClenaghan-Malinga, or Trent Boult with either James Pattinson or Nathan Coulter-Nile, alongside Jasprit Bumrah as the lone Indian seamer, was one of the major reasons behind their success.

Green would take up one of the four overseas spots leaving Mumbai having to use two Indian seamers and one overseas bowler. To make matters worse, Bumrah missed the entirety of last year and Jofra Archer who was supposed to be the main overseas option was unavailable through injury as well.

The emergence of Akash Madhwal in the middle part of last season and veteran leggie Piyush Chawla picking wickets papered over a lot of cracks, but they were no match for Shubman Gill’s sublime assault in Qualifier 2 which brought the curtain down on Mumbai Indians’ campaign.

While Mumbai Indians were struggling with these issues, Hardik was writing his own success story at Gujarat Titans. Leading a new franchise, he tasted ultimate glory in the inaugural season when nobody would gave them a chance, ending on the losing side the next year after a last-ball thriller.

Hardik, who looked to be a fading force at Mumbai Indians, would reinvent himself at Titans. He would take the new ball and swing it both ways, come up the batting order and churn out vital runs. The all-rounder enjoyed arguably his best period in the IPL in the Gujarat Titans shirt.

Though Hardik’s return has put smiles on the faces of Mumbai Indians fans, the opinions were mixed when he was announced as captain of the side.

That decision was influenced by how Hardik galvanised Gujarat Titans in the two seasons he led them. But replacing Rohit would have been a difficult call for the franchise, especially after he became India captain. It would be the first time an India captain would not lead his franchise since the inception of the tournament.

However, Rohit’s own batting returns have tapered off in the IPL of late. To be blunt, if his numbers were looked at in isolation without knowing the player’s name it would be a surprise that the player was not dropped.

Bringing back Hardik and naming him captain is a calculated gamble by Mumbai Indians. For a franchise that has won the most trophies (5) alongside Chennai Super Kings in the history of the tournament, and with the quality of players and support staff at their disposal, delivering silverware regularly is not a luxury but a necessity for the franchise.

It is going to be a baptism by fire for Hardik. Every decision he makes will be scrutinized closely and every facial expression captured by cameras dissected on social platforms. He needs to deliver silverware to buy over the fans and repay the faith reposed by the franchise.