Hardik Pandya, Always A ‘Cool Cat’ Captain!

Hardik Pandya is back as captain; it has come one year after the last season’s Tata-IPL in which his team — the 5-time winner Mumbai Indians — finished at the bottom of the 10-team leader board. But he will not lead the Ambani owned team for its first match of Season-18 at the Chepauk on March 23. As captain of MI last year, he is paying a heavy price for not getting his team’s overs in time — not in one match, but three times. The third slow-over rate happened against Lucknow and he was docked a Rs 30 lakh fine, a one-match suspension; and the rest of the playing XI, a fine of Rs 12 lakh each.  And so MI will miss Pandya against CSK and also the recuperating Jasprit Bumrah. All this means the stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav will have to get the job done by two other bowlers to bowl eight overs.  Pandya appeared a cool cat at MI’s pre-season presser, being matter of fact, fielding questions along with Head Coach Mahela Jayawardene and bringing in a touch of humour. He made the 40-minute presser light, just like he probably wears the captaincy cap too. For some strange reason, Pandya has been eased out as Twenty20 format captain of the Indian team. He doesn’t seem perturbed about it. He led Gujarat Titans to two finals with a title on debut, a reason for getting the MI captaincy. His message to the MI paltan at the Wankhede; chillao (shout) when I am at the toss, chillao when I go to bat, chillao when I hit 6s, chillao when I take a wicket and chillao for Mumbai Indians.