Pandya’s return to Mumbai Indians (MI) replacing Rohit Sharma as skipper initially sparked anger among fans. The transition was not well-received, and Pandya faced the brunt of the fans’ discontent. It had a detrimental effect on his personal game, besides five-time IPL champions MI enduring one of their poorest seasons. However, the tide turned dramatically with Pandya delivering India’s T20 World Cup-winning over in the final against South Africa in Bridgetown, Barbados, on June 29.