IPL 2024 | "Wearing blue colour is special for me": Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya (Pic: AFP)

Ahead of the IPL 2024, Mumbai Indians' newly appointed skipper Hardik Pandya expressed his feelings about wearing the Blue colours of the franchise.

Pandya stated that his journey started from here and returning to the side is special for him. Later on in the video he spoke about bowling coach Lasith Malinga and the head coach Mark Boucher.

"The feeling of wearing blue colour is really special for me. The journey started here. Coming back and playing which is always gonna be special. Malinga is like my brother from the start and Boucher is been wonderful. We will make sure that we will play a brand of cricket which all will be proud of and at the same point of time, that's going to be a ride no one will forget," the right-arm seamer said in a video posted by Mumbai Indians on X.

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In IPL 2024, Hardik Pandya is all set to lead MI after replacing their five-time IPL champion Rohit Sharma.

In 2023 November, Pandya made a shift to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Giants. The Giants under Pandya's leadership lifted the Indian T20 showpiece in their debut season. The star all-rounder spent two momentous years with GT, spearheading their campaign in the cash-rich league with aplomb.

In 31 matches for GT, the right-hand batter has scored 833 runs at an average of 37.86 and a strike rate of over 133, with six half-centuries and a best score of 87'. He also took 11 wickets for the team, with the best figures of 3/17.

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Pandya also played 92 matches for MI from 2015-2021, scoring 1,476 runs at an average of 27.33 at a strike rate of over 153, with four half-centuries and best score of 91. He also took 42 wickets for the team, with the best bowling figures of 3/20. Pandya has won five IPL trophies, four with MI (2015, 2017, 2019, 2020) and GT (2022).

The opening clash of the IPL 2024 will be played between defending champions Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Banglore on March 22 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

After Pandya leaving Gujarat and its captaincy, sensational batsman Shubman Gill has been handed the charge of the pack. Last year's runners-up Gujarat Titans and five-time champions Mumbai Indians will square off against each other in a mouth-watering clash on March 24 at Ahmedabad.

Mumbai Indians (MI) IPL 2024 squad: Rohit Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Verma, Tim David, Vishnu Vinod, Arjun Tendulkar, Shams Mulani, Nehal WadheraJasprit Bumrah, Kumar Kartikeya, Piyush Chawla, Akash Madhwal, Jason Behrendorff, Hardik Pandya (traded from GT), Romario Shepherd (traded from LSG), Gerald Coetzee, Dilshan Madushanka, Shreyas Gopal, Nuwan Thushara, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammad Nabi, Shivalik Sharma.

(With ANI Inputs)