Hardik Pandya goes berserk with the bat in Mumbai Indians practice ahead of IPL 2025 [Watch]

Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya looked in ominous form ahead of IPL 2025, smashing the ball to all parts of the park during a practice session. The star all-rounder replaced Rohit Sharma as MI skipper last season and endured a difficult start as the franchise finished last in the points table.

Pandya also received severe backlash from fans at almost all stadiums during IPL 2024 because of MI's abrupt decision to sack Rohit Sharma. However, the ace all-rounder has redeemed himself in front of the fans and earned their love back by playing a crucial role in India's two ICC tournament wins since IPL 2024.

Hardik Pandya will return to the league with renewed energy this season and look to win the trophy for MI, who have assembled a strong squad. He will miss MI's first match of IPL 2025 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) this Sunday because of a one-match ban due to a slow-over rate offense from last year.

MI posted a video on their X handle on Friday to give their fans a glimpse of the magnificent hitting form of Hardik Pandya going into the new season. It was captioned:

"Ek se badhkar ek चाबूक shots #MumbaiIndians #PlayLikeMumbai [Hardik Pandya]."

You can watch the video below:

---

"The biggest opportunity is for Hardik Pandya" - Aakash Chopra on MI captain ahead of IPL 2025

Former cricketer Aakash Chopra recently previewed the MI squad ahead of the IPL 2025 season. He opined that Hardik Pandya has a great opportunity to get himself in the reckoning for the leadership role in the Indian team with a strong performance while captaining MI this year.

Speaking on the matter in a video on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the cricketer-turned-commentator stated:

"The biggest opportunity is for Hardik Pandya. He was almost the heir apparent to Rohit Sharma at one point. He used to be the captain wherever Rohit Sharma wasn't there. It was almost a given that he would be the white-ball captain. However, suddenly, he has gone out of the captaincy list. No one is even discussing him."

Chopra continued:

"He is not even being made the vice-captain. The guy has performed strongly. He is a clutch player. He is the one who delivers almost every single time in clutch situations. He won the Gujarat Titans the title and took them to the final the second year. After that, suddenly, he is nowhere. He is not in the captaincy list. So it will be a season of slight personal redemption for him."

---

Do you agree with Aakash Chopra's views above? Let us know in the comments section.