NEW DELHI: Although Hardik Pandya's captaincy has faced criticism for some questionable decisions, South African pacer Gerald Coetzee, who made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians, praised Pandya as an "exceptional" leader.
Pandya's first time as captain of the Mumbai Indians, replacing the successful Rohit Sharma, turned into a challenging experience as the five-time champion franchise failed to make it to the playoffs.
MI fans were displeased with the team's decision to appoint Pandya, who had previously led a young Gujarat Titans team to back-to-back IPL finals and won the inaugural edition, and he faced boos at every game.
1/9:Suryakumar Yadav helps Mumbai Indians stun Sunrisers Hyderabad
<p>Suryakumar Yadav helps Mumbai Indians stun Sunrisers Hyderabad</p>AFP
2/9:Seven-wicket victory
<p>Suryakumar Yadav's unbeaten century propelled Mumbai Indians to a seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.</p>AFP
3/9:SKY on top
<p>Yadav's stunning 102 off 51 balls included six sixes and 12 boundaries at Wankhede Stadium.</p>AFP
4/9:Losing streak ended
<p>Depleted by the drop in results since start of the tournament, Mumbai Indians ended a four-match losing streak with this emphatic win.</p>AFP
5/9:Bowlers shine
<p>Captain Hardik Pandya and leg-spinner Piyush Chawla starred with 3 wickets each, restricting Hyderabad to 173-8.</p>AFP
6/9:Improved standing
<p>Despite a horrendous start to the season, Mumbai jumped from last to second to last position on the IPL table with the win over SRH.</p>AFP
7/9:Playoff hopes
<p>Hyderabad's playoff hopes are hanging by a thread, needing two wins from their last three home games.</p>AFP
8/9:A partner in Tilak
<p>Yadav's partnership with Tilak Varma, scoring 37 off 32 balls, sealed the game for Mumbai.</p>AFP
9/9:Victorious
<p>Despite early struggles with the falling of back-to-back three wickets, Yadav's resilient innings, culminating in a century, secured Mumbai's victory.</p>AFP"I think he's been a really good captain. Every captain has a unique style and no captain is the same. He's (Hardik) been really good, he's been really motivational to the guys, he's been really clear with the plans, I think he's an exceptional captain," Coetzee said.
"I think the mood in the dressing room has been really good. We've done our best every game, we've prepared well. We've made some mistakes and sometimes we've been outplayed.
"It's still really good. And we've got strong leaders, we've got really good players. I think there's not much to look into that. I think it's been in a good mood consistently, right throughout," he added.
Mumbai Indians were the first team to be eliminated from playoff contention this season.
