Hardik Pandya, the captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI), is currently encountering challenges both in his cricketing career and personal life. The Mumbai Police have apprehended Hardik Pandya’s stepbrother, Vaibhav Pandya, on allegations of deceiving them to the tune of approximately Rs 4.3 crore.
It seems there’s trouble brewing in Hardik Pandya’s personal life too. His cousin, Vaibhav Pandya, has landed in hot water, facing serious allegations of fraud and financial mismanagement involving both Hardik and his brother, Krunal Pandya.
Vaibhav, who’s older than Hardik, finds himself in legal trouble over accusations of cheating and mishandling a substantial amount of 4.3 crore. Reports suggest that both Hardik and Krunal have taken legal action against Vaibhav, resulting in his arrest on these grave charges.
Back in 2021, the trio ventured into a business together. The arrangement was straightforward: Hardik and Krunal were to receive 40% of the profits each, while Vaibhav would get 20%.
However, things took a turn when Vaibhav, the lesser-known Pandya, allegedly diverted the funds from the business into another company he created, instead of distributing the profits as agreed upon. Officials from the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police have slapped Vaibhav with charges of cheating and forgery. The arrest followed a complaint lodged by Hardik against his 37-year-old cousin.
After making a comeback to the Mumbai Indians (MI) squad, Hardik Pandya stepped into the captain’s shoes, replacing Rohit Sharma for the IPL 2024 season. However, their campaign didn’t kick off as smoothly as expected, with the team enduring three consecutive losses.
Despite the rough start, MI finally clinched their first win of the season by defeating Rishabh Pant’s Delhi Capitals by 29 runs. This victory injected a much-needed dose of confidence into the team, as they look forward to maintaining the winning streak in the upcoming matches.
Next up, MI is gearing up to face the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. However, Pandya has been encountering a fair share of boos from the crowd during MI’s matches, owing to the decision to take over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma.