Former India cricketer Praveen Kumar slammed Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya ahead of the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League. The 37-year-old mentioned that the star all-rounder barely plays for the national team as he gets injured frequently and also doesn't represent his state team in domestic cricket.
Notably, during the ODI World Cup match against Bangladesh, Hardik Pandya injured his ankle and it was only recently that he made his return to professional cricket. The 30-year-old joined the MI camp on March 11 and soon after that, Praveen opined that he should be playing more international and domestic matches, rather than focusing only on the IPL.
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“You get injured two months before the IPL, you don't play for the country, you don't play for your state in domestic cricket, and just directly play in the IPL. That's not how things should be done. It's okay to earn money, there's nothing wrong with that. But you have to play for state and country and now people only give importance to the IPL", Praveen said in a viral interview clip.
Well said Praveen Kumar about hardik Pandya #HardikPandya #MI
— विजय (@bijjuu11) March 12, 2024
pic.twitter.com/8FIVboOkWM
Praveen also believes that the franchise should have backed Rohit Sharma as the skipper. Notably, after Hardik joined the five-time champions from Gujarat Titans, the all-rounder replaced Rohit as the captain of the side. Head coach Mark Boucher stated that Rohit’s form with the bat dropped in the last couple of years and to give him some relaxation, the team management decided to change to bring Hardik in as captain.
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However, Praveen believes that Rohit could have led Mumbai for at least three more years. He added that the decision solely lies in the hands of the management and they wanted a new face.
“Yes, Rohit can do it. Not only for one year, but he can do it for two years, three years. But eventually, the decision lies in the hands of the management,” Praveen said.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians will begin their IPL 2024 campaign against Gujarat Titans on March 24.
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