"Will have the support of Indian and overseas players because he is a highly respected cricketer"- Tom Moody on Hardik Pandya's MI captaincy debut

Former Australian all-rounder turned commentator Tom Moody backed Hardik Pandya to have the full support of the entire squad in his upcoming stint as Mumbai Indians (MI) captain.

A dramatic off-season turnaround saw Hardik return to his former franchise (MI) in an all-cash trade deal with the Gujarat Titans (GT). The star all-rounder subsequently replaced Rohit Sharma as captain. While the move created quite an uproar, all eyes will be on Hardik as he gets set to lead one of the most accomplished franchises.

Speaking on ESPNCricinfo, Moody feels Hardik would be aided by having a solid squad and the support of all the players at his disposal.

"He has got a team that will back up and take away the pressure of inconsistent performances. He will have the support of the Indian and overseas players because he is a highly respected cricketer and a performer as an all-rounder," said Moody.

Yet, Moody has warned Hardik that the results of the first few games are crucial to help settle things down.

"But, captaincy can be a completely different game once you lose two or three games and suddenly they pick holes out of your leadership, they pick holes out of the decisions you make," added Moody.

Hardik Pandya is no stranger to captaincy pressure, having led the Gujarat Titans admirably for two seasons in 2022 and 2023. The side won the title in their maiden IPL appearance in 2022 before suffering a last-ball finish in the finale last year to finish runners-up.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma has led MI for over a decade from the middle of 2013, helping them win five titles.

---

"He is tactically sound and he will be supported by all the senior players" - Tom Moody

Tom Moody further called Hardik Pandya a tactically sound captain and expected him to have the full support of Indian and overseas senior players.

The 30-year-old will lead a star-studded MI lineup featuring several Indian regulars like Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah, and Suryakumar Yadav.

"When you are winning, you can make the craziest decisions and still people build them up to being genius strokes. Hardik has the credentials as the Gujarat Titans leader, he is tactically sound and he will be supported by all the senior players, both Indian and overseas," said Moody.

Hardik Pandya also boasts experience captaining the Indian T20I side over the past two years, winning 10 in 16 matches.

His MI captaincy stint will begin with a mouthwatering clash against his former team, Gujarat Titans, in Ahmedabad on March 24.