RCB Great Clarifies "Not Genuine, Ego Driven" Remark On Hardik Pandya

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has been a constant target for trolls since the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 campaign. Fans didn't welcome the management's decision to strip Rohit Sharma of his captaincy responsibilities while awarding the same to the India all-rounder. As MI endured tough results in the ongoing IPL campaign, becoming the first side to be knocked out, pressure intensified on Hardik, with several questions being raised over his leadership credentials. Even former Royal Challengers Bengaluru and South Africa star AB de Villiers seemed to have called out Hardik's 'bravado-style' captaincy. But, he has now issued a clarification.

"I see there is a lot of activity on X about the comments I made about Hardik Pandya and Mumbai Indians. And it's a shame that journalism and reporting has got so low (laughs). And I am very happy that some of you have pointed it out, taking some of those comments out and leaving the rest," AB de Villiers said in a video on his YouTube channel.

In a fresh verdict, De Villiers said that he absolutely loves Hardik's captaincy, before clarifying why he said it's "not genuine". He also admitted that the all-rounder's style of leadership isn't something that's easy to adapt for senior players.

"I very clearly stated and I will state this again -- I absolutely love the way Hardik Pandya plays his game. I love the way he captains. All I can say is, his style of captaincy is something that he has certainly worked on. It's not something that you can just walk out of the door and you are a brave captain.

"Why I said it's always not genuine is because I played exactly the same way. I was not the soft-spoken, genuine AB de Villiers that I was at my home. The guy you saw on the field was in a way 'an act'. Sometimes, you have to put up a front and show the opposition that you are a force to reckon with. That's what Hardik Pandya does. I am saying that style is not always the easiest style to adapt to, especially for some senior players.

"I love Hardik Pandya, that's what I said. To you reporters out there, I am sorry to burst your bubble," De Villiers further said.