Angry ex-MI star blasts Hardik Pandya, saying, “You don’t play for India, state, and get into the IPL directly”
In the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League, one of the most intriguing aspects of the season will be the change of guard for the Mumbai Indians. The five-time champions will have a new captain at the helm in Hardik Pandya, with previous skipper Rohit Sharma featuring just as a batter. The move to change captaincy has been one of the most debated topics in the build-up to the IPL 2024. Whether Hardik Pandya can lead his old franchise with success is the question.
In a video that has been widely shared on social media, former Indian cricket team player Praveen Kumar can be seen being asked this tough question about the Mumbai Indians' change in captaincy.
Praveen Kumar, who has played for the Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Kings XI Punjab, was asked, "Did MI take a hurried decision? Or, was the decision to make Hardik Pandya captain the right one?"
To this, Praveen replied, "You don't play two months before, 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 you just directly play in the IPL. That's not how things work. It's okay to earn money; who is stopping you? There's nothing wrong with that. But you have to play for the state and country, and now people only give importance to the IPL.”
The former fast bowler advised young players to prioritize international cricket over the Indian Premier League and try to balance both things in their careers.