"Even Hardik Pandya Would've Been Disappointed...": Coach Mark Boucher's Honest Take On MI Skipper

After finishing their disastrous campaign at the bottom of the points table, Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mark Boucher acknowledged the team's difficulties while emphasising the need for patience and careful consideration before making changes. After losing to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 18 runs, Mumbai's Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season came to an abrupt end, finishing last in the IPL standings. Boucher addressed Hardik Pandya's captaincy and batting struggles and acknowledged the all-rounder's leadership potential.

The MI head coach believes Pandya will learn from this experience and emerge a stronger leader.

Hardik had one of his worst seasons with both bat and ball and his captaincy also received criticism in the end.

"Even Hardik would've been disappointed with his performance. From a captain's perspective, he had some excellent games," Boucher said in a post-match press conference.

Boucher believes Pandya will grow as a leader and gain knowledge from this experience.

"There's a lot of stuff going around him that clouds his thoughts now and again, which is also challenging for him as a leader. He certainly had a lot of support within our dressing room, and guys are trying to help him out, but it is tricky to go through as a player. It is what it is, and it will undoubtedly be a learning curve for him with his leadership growth. While times are tough now, some things will pass, and he'll be a tougher leader. So, some fantastic things are coming for Hardik Pandya as a leader," he added.

"He came into the season with little cricket behind him, so it would always be reasonably tough on him. We understood that as well. His bowling got a lot better as the season went along. Unfortunately, he didn't fire