The Mumbai Indians (MI) have named Hardik Pandya as their new captain for the 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL). Following a huge INR 15 crore transfer agreement to rejoin his previous IPL side, the star all-rounder replaced Rohit Sharma.
Fans and analysts have various reactions to the development. Many of them, especially Rohit Sharma supporters, were dissatisfied with the decision and unfollowed the franchise on social media. The franchise has lost 0.9 million followers (13.2M to 12.3M) after the news.
In 158 games as captain, Rohit guided MI to 87 victories. Among the most successful IPL captains is him. During his ten years as captain, the 36-year-old led MI to five IPL crowns. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have won five IPL titles under the leadership of just MS Dhoni.
Hardik Pandya, on the other side, has guided Gujarat Titans to two successive IPL finals in the previous two seasons, including the inaugural title.
Sunil Gavaskar supports Mumbai Indians’ decision to make Hardik Pandya the skipper instead of Rohit Sharma
Meanwhile, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has praised Mumbai Indians after Hardik Pandya took over as captain for the IPL 2024 season. The Mumbaikar noted that Rohit’s performance has deteriorated in recent years.
Gavaskar said to Star Sports:
“We shouldn’t go into rights and wrongs. But, the decision they have taken is for the benefit of the team. In the last two years, Rohit’s contribution, even with the bat, has dipped a little bit. Earlier, he used to score big, but in the last two years, they finished No. 9 or No. 10 the year before last year and in the last year they qualified for the playoffs.”
Sunil Gavaskar
The cricketer-turned-commentator went on to say:
“But we missed seeing the mojo in Rohit Sharma that we used to see in the previous few years. Maybe, he was a little tired because of playing continuous cricket, he was a little tired because of captaincy, leading India and the franchise.”
Sunil Gavaskar
Rohit Sharma has accumulated 600 runs in 30 matches at an average of 20, including two half-centuries, since 2022. Mumbai Indians finished last in the points standings in IPL 2022 but advanced to the elimination stage in 2023.