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Excitement, confidence and a constant smile was on sheer display as Hardik Pandya took the stage for the pre-season conference alongside the Head Coach Mark Boucher on Monday (March 18).

For starters, the new MI skipper gave his first and solid verdict on what it meant to return to the Blue and Gold, to Mumbai and the Wankhede.

“It’s good to be back where everything started. It is a surreal feeling for me because everything I have known since Day 1—from 2015 to now—has been through this team, through this journey. Knowing that my whole life changed when I made my debut in 2015, it has been a dreamy journey where I never thought I would reach here. But I am very grateful to be back here on a ground that has been my favourite since Day 1 and playing for my favourite team.”

And on his new-found role…

“It feels wonderful, and who would not? I started my journey here, and I never thought that ten years down the line, I would be leading this team. The feeling is way too amazing; I am very excited for the season and to play my old fellows with whom I have been playing and have had a lot of success together.”

The captaincy change raised many questions about the dynamic between him and Rohit Sharma, but Hardik had a definitive reply.

“It won’t be any different because he will always be there to help me if I need his help. At the same time, his (Rohit) being the Indian captain helps me because this team has achieved all its glory under his belt. From now on, I will just be carrying forward what he started. So, it won’t be anything awkward or different as I have played my entire MI career under him, and I know he will have his hand on my shoulder throughout the season.”

The varied fan sentiment was a question that captain Hardik welcomed with open arms and a sporting approach.

"As far as the backlash is concerned, we respect the fans, but at the same time, I focus on the sport. I control the controllables. I don’t focus on what I can’t control. At the same time, we are very grateful to the fans as a lot of name, fame and love comes from them. They have every right, and I respect their opinion. But side by side, I am very excited and will be focused on the sport," he said.

If anything, the skipper asserted that he is raring to get on to the field after returning from an injury that kept him out of competitive action since the World Cup.

"My World Cup (2023) injury was a freak injury, which was different from the past. It had nothing to do with my fitness. It was just a case of me trying to stop a ball and then twisting my ankle. To put it straight, I could have returned in one and a half months. However, when I got injured, my injury from Day 1 only showed that I would be out of the World Cup."

"Playing for India has always been special, especially in the World Cup format. We pushed it for 10 days, knowing it would be an uphill task to be fit for the semi-finals or the finals. By pushing myself, I triggered my injury, and thus it prolonged. When I got fit, the India vs Afghanistan series had just started, so I have been fit since there were no games and, thus, no opportunities to make a comeback."

Post that, Mark Boucher was asked about the new team structure - the arrivals of the Class of 2024 and the plan of action to break a ‘certain’ jinx.

“Change brings new challenges and perspectives, which is always good and adds freshness. We have a new batch of energetic players eager to learn; some are entering the IPL for the first time. We want to start the season well, which is my current focus. We have a history of not starting well in the competition, so we have addressed that, and hopefully, we will find one or two things that we feel we can do within the squad to be more ready for the first game and get off to a good start—not looking to put pressure on the players. If we get off to a normal start, then that’s fine. We have just to catch up a bit. Hopefully, the measures we have implemented in the last week and the days to come will put in a good space to start the competition nice and strong.”

With this confidence and the MI-winning mentality, the Paltan can look forward to their favourite Blue and Gold stars writing a new script in their charge to Trophy #6 under captain Hardik, the 'LLord' Kieron Pollard (batting coach) and the returning Lasith Malinga (bowling coach). So get the comments flooded, and let us know what you look forward to.