Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh said that Mumbai Indians (MI) decision to bring back all-rounder Hardik Pandya to the franchise as a captain backfired and the team did not play cohesively as a unit.

The ongoing IPL 2024 season was one to forget for five-time champions MI. They brought back Pandya after a two-year stint with Gujarat Titans (GT), which involved winning the title in their debut season in 2022, but replacing Rohit Sharma as a captain led to massive social media backlash for the all-rounder and franchise. Pandya was booed in stadiums all over India during his matches and the team finished at the bottom of the points table with four wins, 10 losses and eight points. Pandya, who had played a crucial role in the franchise's success from 2015-21, could not put on match-winning performances.