"Had MI done well, these same experts would have been praising Hardik Pandya" - Gautam Gambhir [SK match ki Baat Exclusive]

Gautam Gambhir believes that Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya should not pay heed to the experts' criticism over his team's underwhelming performance in IPL 2024. He opined that everyone would have praised the all-rounder's leadership if it had been a successful campaign for MI.

The former India opener suggested that Pandya will earn praise from the same experts if Mumbai can turn things around next year. Speaking exclusively on Sportskeeda SK Match ki Baat, here's what Gambhir said about the MI skipper:

"It's not important to focus on what the experts are saying. It is their job to comment on things. I believe that someone's captaincy is judged only on the basis of his team's performance. Had MI done well, these same experts would have been praising Hardik Pandya."

"If there is the same setup next year and MI start doing well, all the experts will start saying completely opposite things, and that would be the headline. Ultimately, it's about the performance. There is a talk about captaincy because MI haven't performed well," he added.

It has been a tough season for Hardik Pandya. He received backlash from the fans for replacing Rohit Sharma as the skipper of the Mumbai-based side.

Furthermore, his performances with bat and ball have also been quite ordinary. To make matters worse, MI were the first team to be eliminated from the playoff race.

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"Judging him for each and everything is not the right thing" - Gautam Gambhir urges fans and experts to be patient with Hardik Pandya

Gautam Gambhir said it is unfair to expect Hardik Pandya to do wonders in his very first season as the MI captain. He pointed out that the player was with a different franchise, Gujarat Titans (GT), for the last two editions, and he should be given more time to prove his mettle.

Urging fans and experts to be patient with Hardik, the 42-year-old added:

"You have to realise that Hardik Pandya has come from a different franchise. So, it takes time sometimes. He captained Gujarat for two years and was given the leadership position in Mumbai. You cannot expect him to suddenly deliver. Yes, he could have surely delivered, but even if that's not happened, give that guy a bit more time. Judging him for each and everything is not the right thing."

Mumbai are placed ninth in the points table, with just four wins from 13 fixtures. They take on the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Wankhede Stadium on Friday, May 17, which will be their final match of IPL 2024.