Gambhir, known for his outspoken nature, defended Hardik Pandya‘s captaincy amidst scrutiny from Pietersen and former South African cricketer AB de Villiers. In an interview with Sportskeeda, Gambhir remarked, “Those criticizing Pandya have woeful captaincy records themselves, and are not able leaders.”
Pietersen, known for his candidness, admitted to his shortcomings as a captain, stating, “He’s not wrong.I was a terrible captain!!!” Pietersen’s response echoed Gambhir’s assertion, highlighting a rare moment of self-reflection from the former England skipper.
AB de Villiers had previously expressed concerns about Pandya’s leadership style, labeling it as ego-driven. Pietersen, on the other hand, criticized Pandya for appearing ‘happy when he is not’ and ‘smiling too much’ during his stint as Mumbai Indians‘ captain in the 2024 Indian Premier League.
Gambhir further defended Pandya by comparing the records of Pietersen and de Villiers as captains, stating, “If you look up their records, it would be worse than any other leader.” He emphasized the importance of comparing similar achievements, noting Pandya’s success as an IPL-winning captain.
Pietersen’s captaincy record includes leading two IPL teams, RCB and DC (formerly Delhi Daredevils), as well as captaining the England cricket team. However, his tenure as captain in IPL saw limited success, with only two wins out of six matches as RCB captain in 2009, and a disappointing bottom finish for Delhi in 2014 under his leadership.