Image Source: X.com
[Saba Sports News] In a recently surfaced video, Hardik Pandya, the newly appointed Mumbai Indians captain, was captured admonishing a staff member for offering him Jalebis during a commercial shoot for Star Sports in the run-up to the IPL 2024 season.
This year marks Pandya’s debut as the captain of Mumbai Indians, following his return to the Ambani-owned team through the trade window before the IPL 2024 auction. His leadership tenure at Gujarat Titans included winning an IPL trophy and finishing as runners-up. Pandya, who played for MI from 2015 to 2021, has taken over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma, concluding Sharma’s successful decade-long leadership that brought the team five IPL championships.
The incident in the viral video shows Pandya interacting with a staff member during a Star Sports advertisement filming for the upcoming IPL season. When offered Jalebis by the staff member, Pandya declines, expressing dissatisfaction and requesting to speak with his personal chef and nutritionist.
Pandya is currently recuperating from an ankle injury he sustained at the World Cup 2023 during a match against Bangladesh in Pune. Since the injury, he has been absent from all cricketing activities, aiming for a return in the IPL.
His recovery progress includes participation in a 20-over practice match at the National Cricket Academy’s facility in Alur, near Bangalore, overseen by the academy’s physios and trainers. Pandya is scheduled to undergo further conditioning and match-simulation exercises until early March before joining the Mumbai Indians for pre-season camp.
Despite his new role at MI, Rohit Sharma has been affirmed by Jay Shah as the captain of the Indian team for the T20 World Cup in June.