Finding the sweet spot of his bat with consummate ease, the new Mumbai Indians' (MI) skipper
Hardik Pandya
unleashed himself during his team's training session in preparation for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) beginning March 22.
Hardik has replaced MI's most successful leader Rohit Sharma as the team's captain to mark a return to his former IPL franchise.
MI shared a video from their net session, with Hardik showcasing the full array of his shots, especially through the off-side.
Earlier, in his first act as the new MI captain, Hardik performed 'pooja' inside the team's dressing room alongside coach Mark Boucher.
In a short and sweet ceremony, Hardik was seen praying while Boucher followed it up by breaking a coconut, which is an Indian ritual for an auspicious start.
Following a successful two-year stint at Gujarat Titans, where the all-rounder took the side to two finals while winning one of those in their inaugural season in 2022, Hardik returned to MI in a high-profile trade in November last year.
Hardik had been out of action since suffering an ankle injury during the ODI World Cup.
Mumbai Indians are the most successful IPL franchise alongside Chennai Super Kings. Both have won five titles each.
Rohit, who led India to the ODI World Cup final, had been captaining the franchise since 2013 when they lifted first of their five IPL trophies, followed by triumphs in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020.
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