Hardik Pandya had a tough start to his 2024 as he faced troubles across not just his personal life but also his professional one as Mumbai Indians captain. Notably, Hardik who had already seen a lot of success as a skipper at Gujarat Titans, returned back to MI in 2024 to lead the side – taking the reins from Rohit Sharma, a move that did not sit well with loyal Mumbai fans. Soon afterwards, the new MI skipper was booed across stadiums and called names but Hardik handled the whole matter with grace and never showed signs of being disturbed by the crowd behaviour.
Hardik Pandya’s emotional turnaround: From boos to roars
Since IPL 2024, it has been a year of redemption for Hardik as he helped the Men in Blue win the T20 World Cup last year and more recently the Champions Trophy 2025. As MI head into the IPL 2025, they appear to have a much calmer captain and a settled side full of match-winners.
On a personal note, Hardik reached another milestone when he appeared to return from a training session in Chennai and was greeted with chants of his name from the crowd. The MI skipper went on to greet his fans and sign autographs.
Hardik Pandya’s heartwarming gesture with young fan:
Hardik was also captured having a conversation with a young girl. The girl asks Hardik if she could ask him a question to which the MI skipper replied in affirmative.
Subsequently, the young girl asks, ‘How do you feel after winning the Champions Trophy?”
Hardik replied while signing autographs, ‘Really enjoyed it, Did you enjoy it?” The girl can then be heard saying that she watched the whole game.
The MI skipper’s special gesture for youn fan was taken really well by users on social media – many of whom highlighted the struggles that the 31 year old has gone through in the last year.
Hardik’s MI to begin their campaign against CSK:
Mumbai Indians will kick off their IPL 2025 campaign on 23 March against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings. While MI have been one of the most successful IPL franchises to date, the blue team seemed to have lost their way in recent seasons.
With Hardik at the helm, MI will be looking to recapture their glory days by lifting the IPL 2025 trophy.
