Hardik Pandya was responsible for lighting a fire during the IPL Trade window when he was traded to the Mumbai Indians from the Gujarat Titans in a seismic shake-up. The MI captaincy was also handed to him from Rohit Sharma, which caused a lot of frenzy. Now that the IPL fixtures have been announced, Pandya will be in action against the Gujarat Titans. It will be a unique homecoming for the former GT skipper. Amidst intense chatter over him replacing Rohit as the team captain, a former team India player has commented on the scenario.

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Parthiv Patel speaks out on the Hardik Pandya captaincy chatter, says he could be under pressure  

Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel believes Hardik Pandya would face immense pressure while guiding the Mumbai Indians in the forthcoming IPL 2024 season, as the choice of ousting Rohit from captaincy wasn't received well with everyone. During his appearance in JioCinema, Patel shared his thoughts.

"Hardik has moved on, is now back in Mumbai, where his cricket started. There will be a lot of expectations from MI because the trophy is long due. "For MI, qualifying is not a success; it's about winning championships. That's something they must have thought, and it seems like a well-thought decision to get him on board, looking at the future," Parthiv Patel said.

"There will be a lot of pressure on Hardik. It will be challenging: replacing a five-time title-winning captain and a team that is used to playing a certain way for ten years. This change of guard will be challenging for Hardik and for the players who are so used to playing under Rohit Sharma," he added.

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The fans who would witness GT's opening game in Motera will witness former skipper Hardik Pandya leading MI in an away game. The match that will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium is anticipated to be a jam-packed session with the fans showcasing mixed emotions. 

(With PTI Inputs)