In summary:
According to Sunil Gavaskar, Hardik Pandya's performance in the IPL 2024 season was significantly affected by the criticism surrounding his role as MI's captain, resulting in a decline in both his batting and bowling performances. Pandya faced one of his worst seasons, and his captaincy also came under scrutiny as MI finished at the bottom of the points table with only 8 points. Gavaskar expressed his views to the media following MI's defeat to LSG, suggesting that Pandya's struggles stemmed from a lack of positive momentum from the start of the season. Gavaskar believed that if Pandya had delivered strong performances in the opening match and contributed more wickets, his season could have unfolded differently.