"IPL Gave Me My Identity": Hardik Pandya's Passionate Post Ahead Of First MI Match As Captain

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya is truly the product of the Indian Premier League (IPL). After joining the franchise in 2015 for a meager fee of INR 10 lakh, Hardik has gone on to register his name among the finest all-rounders in the world. As the Baroda-born cricketer begins a new adventure in his career, as the captain of Mumbai Indians, he shared a passionate video on social media, highlighting how important the T20 league has been in his career.

"In my 10th IPL season, grateful for the journey, for the growth, for everything that's come my way  And to be back with a team that's always been in my heart," Hardik captioned the post.

In my 10th IPL season, grateful for the journey, for the growth, for everything that's come my way And to be back with a team that's always been in my heart pic.twitter.com/vNnT6XVefH

"IPL has given me everything. IPL gave me my identity. Otherwise, I would still be in Baroda where I am but not this Hardik. Some other Hardik would've been there," the MI skipper could be heard saying in the video.

The all-rounder is set to captain Mumbai Indians (MI), replacing their five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy-winning skipper Rohit Sharma in the 2024 season of the cash-rich league.

In November last year, Pandya moved back from Gujarat Titans (GT) to his former franchise as part of a trade between both franchises. The star all-rounder spent two momentous years with GT, spearheading their campaign in the cash-rich league with aplomb. In GT's debut season in 2022, Hardik got them off to a fairytale start, with the team lifting the coveted trophy.

This heartwarming gesture between these two-star players comes when fans of both players are at loggerheads on social media, accusing the team