Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya heaped praise on the franchise’s scouting team after MI’s convincing win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 31 in IPL 2025. The all-rounder credited MI’s scouts for their meticulous efforts in identifying young talent, specifically highlighting debutant Ashwani Kumar, who bagged the Player of the Match award with a stunning four-wicket haul. While many appreciated Pandya’s acknowledgment, some on social media were quick to call out the apparent contradiction in his statements compared to his stance in 2022.
Back in 2022, after moving to the Gujarat Titans (GT), Pandya had a very different perspective on MI’s scouting process. In an interview, he claimed that the Mumbai Indians didn’t rely on scouting as much as simply acquiring the best players available. He contrasted this with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), emphasizing that while CSK nurtured talent and transformed players into match-winners, MI was more focused on signing established stars to secure victories.
“There are two kinds of successful teams. One is to get the best people possible from A-B, which I believe is what MI had. Or have the best environment possible for you to win – which has been CSK types, where no matter who the players are, you get the best out of them. That was more inspiring to me,” Hardik Pandya had remarked during IPL 2022.
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His words back then suggested that the Mumbai Indians’ dominance stemmed from acquiring marquee players rather than developing raw talent. However, after MI’s latest triumph against KKR in 2025, Pandya’s comments painted an entirely different picture.
“First of all, it’s all because of the scouts. All MI scouts have gone all the places and picked these young kids,” Hardik Pandya stated post-match, crediting MI’s talent-hunting network for unearthing promising players like Ashwani Kumar.
This sudden shift in stance didn’t go unnoticed. Fans on social media quickly pointed out the inconsistency, questioning whether Pandya’s praise was genuine or merely convenient now that he was back at MI’s helm.
Ironically, Pandya himself is a product of the very MI scouting system he once downplayed. Alongside his brother Krunal, he was scouted by the Mumbai Indians and transformed into an IPL champion, playing a crucial role in four title-winning campaigns before leading Gujarat Titans to their maiden trophy in 2022. MI’s scouting has been instrumental in shaping careers, with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Tilak Varma, and now Ashwani Kumar emerging as success stories.
Ashwani Kumar’s debut performance against KKR was nothing short of spectacular. The left-arm pacer ripped through KKR’s batting lineup, claiming four crucial wickets, including the prized scalp of Ajinkya Rahane on his very first IPL delivery. His heroics restricted KKR to a modest 116, which MI chased down comfortably thanks to Ryan Rickelton’s unbeaten 62 off 41 balls.
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This wasn’t MI’s only scouting success in IPL 2025. Earlier in the tournament, another young find, left-arm wrist-spinner Vignesh Puthur, impressed with a three-wicket haul against Chennai Super Kings. Contrary to Pandya’s earlier remarks, these performances reaffirm MI’s knack for identifying and grooming future stars.
As MI gears up to face Lucknow Super Giants in their next fixture, Pandya’s statements remain a hot topic of discussion. While MI’s scouting team continues to deliver results, the scrutiny over the MI captain’s contrasting opinions is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
