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Ahead of the much-anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Hardik Pandya has joined the Mumbai Indians (MI) setup and started training with the team.
Having led the Gujarat Titans (GT) to victory in their debut season (2022) and then leading them to a runners-up finish in 2023, Pandya's return to MI marks a homecoming for the all-rounder who rose to prominence in IPL with the Mumbai-based outfit.
Pandya, who was a mere rookie when MI roped him in for ₹10 lakh at IPL 2015 auction, played 92 IPL games for the five-time champions.
He was a designated finisher for the side and even chipped in with crucial overs when needed. During his seven years stint from 2015 to 2021, Pandya mustered 1,476 runs at a strike rate of 153.91 and also took 42 wickets for the franchise.
Pandya's return to the MI setup in 2024 as captain ignites a sense of nostalgia for the fans. It all started when he replaced Jagadeesha Suchith in Match 16 of IPL 2015 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Pandya gave a glimpse of his attacking abilities as his 6-ball 16* cameo helped MI win the encounter by 18 runs.
On that very note, let's take a look at MI's playing XI from Hardik Pandya's debut match in 2015, and where the players are now.
Openers: Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel (wk)
After being put in to bat first, Mumbai openers gave a decent start as Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel added 47 runs in 5.5 overs. While Parthiv was the first one to go for 12 runs, Simmons anchored the MI innings.
The West Indian batter top-scored with a 44-ball 59 and struck nine boundaries and two sixes.
Mumbai Indians roped in Parthiv Patel as a Talent Scout after he announced his retirement from all formats of the game in 2020. The wicketkeeper batter is also working as a commentator and an expert for Jio Cinema.
Simmons, meanwhile, announced his retirement from international cricket in 2022. He currently plays the Legends League Cricket (LLC).
Middle-order: Unmkut Chand, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu
An all Indian middle-order for Mumbai included Unmukt Chand, Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu.
Chand played a superb knock in that game for MI as he hammered 58 runs off 37 balls. Interestingly, it was his only IPL half-century as he went on to retire from India before moving to USA. He plays for Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) in Major League Cricket (MLC).
Rohit went berserk against RCB in Bengaluru as he clobbered four sixes and three fours en route to his smashing 15-ball 42. The current Indian cricket team captain, Rohit Sharma is still a key part of the franchise.
Rohit captained the franchise to five IPL titles but will play under Pandya's captaincy this season.
Ambati Rayudu, meanwhile, was out on a golden duck in that game. However, he remained as a crucial cog in MI's middle order for a number of years.
The 38-year-old retired from all forms of Indian cricket after a victorious IPL 2023 with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He plays franchise cricket for the Texas Super Kings (TSK) in Major League Cricket and for the MI Emirates in the ILT20.
All-rounders: Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya
Two of Mumbai's all-time greats, Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya played their first game together. While Pollard (5) was dismissed early on, Pandya's quick-fire 16* helped MI pile up a first-innings score of 209/7.
Pollard retired from the IPL after the 2022 season and has since been serving as MI's Batting Coach. He still continues to play franchise cricket all over the world, for teams like MI Emirates, MI Cape Town and MI New York. The all-rounder will be the Assistant Coach of England for the 2024 T20 World Cup as well.
Pandya, meanwhile, was traded to MI in an all-cash deal worth ₹15 crore plus bonus from Gujarat Titans (GT). He will skipper a strong-looking MI unit this season and will hope to clinch his sixth title as a player as well.
Bowlers: Harbhajan Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell McClenaghan and Lasith Malinga
A wonderful bowling attack for MI involved the likes of Harbhajan Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell McClenaghan and Lasith Malinga. This superb bowling attack worked in tandem to restrict RCB from chasing down the total in batting-friendly conditions in Bengaluru.
Harbhajan was the pick of the bowlers as he won the Player of the Match award for his 3/27. He dismissed Chris Gayle, Manvinder Bisla and Rilee Rossouw.
Bumrah took the prized wicket of AB de Villiers (41 off 11), who looked extremely threatening. McClenaghan, meanwhile, was also playing his debut match for MI. He sent back Virat Kohli in that game but leaked 43 runs in his four overs.
Lasith Malinga ended his spell with 1/35, which included a maiden over against Gayle early in the innings.
Harbhajan Singh is currently a commentator and also a serving member parliament in the Rajya Sabha. He also plays various legend leagues around the world.
Alongside Rohit and Pandya, Bumrah is the other player on the list who is also part of the current MI outfit. The 30-year-old has developed into a world-class pacer and enjoyed a terrific recent Test series against England, where he took 19 wickets in four games.
McClenaghan and Malinga, who both won multiple IPL titles with MI, are retired from competitive cricket. The former occasionally plays Legends League Cricket and was recently made the bowling coach for MI Emirates at ILT20 2024.
Malinga, meanwhile, has been a professional bowling coach for a number of T20 franchises, including Rajasthan Royals (RR). Ahead of IPL 2024, he replaced Shane Bond as the fast-bowling coach for MI.
