Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif made a massive comment about Hardik Pandya after the all-rounder’s trade to Punjab Kings (PBKS) ahead of IPL 2027. Hardik has been traded by Mumbai Indians (MI) to PBKS in exchange for pacer Arshdeep Singh. He returned to MI in 2024 via trade from the Gujarat Titans (GT) but did not have a successful second stint, as Mumbai made the playoffs just once in three seasons, with Hardik not being as impactful as a player either.

“It was a blunder by Hardik to leave GT. I think it was an emotional call. He had a connection with MI, and maybe that drew him back. It is always a tough call. You made GT champions and were the king there. But that decision hurt him. He went backwards in his performance and captaincy. It would be better for him to forget the second part with MI as soon as he can and move forward,” the former RCB batter said in a video on his YouTube channel.

READ HERE: Shubman Gill Breaks Silence On ODI Futures Of Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli

With Shreyas Iyer leading PBKS, Hardik Pandya is unlikely to get the captaincy in his very first season for the franchise as well.

“Many players want captaincy. But a lot of them do not perform well under the pressure of captaincy. It is not everybody’s cup of tea. It is even more difficult in the IPL anyway. It will be good for Hardik that he is not captain. At PBKS, he should look to regain his form as a batter, a bowler, and a finisher. There is no doubt that he is a great player. So it is good that he is not the captain. He can focus on his game. Being an all-rounder and a captain is all the more difficult,” he concluded.