But tim david

Indian Premier League: Ever since he made a surprising shift from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians and was named captain of the five-time IPL winner, Hardik Pandya has been facing a kind of scrutiny he has never faced in his entire cricket career.

However, Mumbai Indians' Australian middle-order batter Tim David said the skipper has played an important role in the team and going by Pandya's performance in the match against Delhi Capitals, he has been like a glue that has held the middle together and allowed the finishers to break free.

Though Pandya had started his IPL career with Mumbai Indians and it was a homecoming of sorts after he led Gujarat Titans to the title in 2022 and the runner-up finish in the last edition of the Indian Premier League, he has not welcomed with open arms. The India T20 captain has been booed by fans, his captaincy has been dissected threadbare by experts and some of his decisions have left people baffled.