[ad_1]
The recent announcement of Hardik Pandya as the new captain of the Mumbai Indians for the upcoming IPL 2024, replacing Rohit Sharma, has sparked diverse reactions within the cricketing community. Renowned cricket figure Sunil Gavaskar has voiced his support for the decision, suggesting that the move reflects the team management’s strategic vision.
Former MI coach and Global Head of Performance, Mahela Jayawardene, emphasized the significance of this leadership transition in preparing the team for the future. Gavaskar hinted at Rohit Sharma potentially feeling fatigued, given his responsibilities leading both Mumbai Indians and India’s teams across formats since 2022. He suggested that the captaincy change might serve to alleviate Sharma’s workload and rejuvenate the team under Pandya’s leadership.
“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,” Gavaskar commented in an interview with Star Sports.
“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,” he added.
The Mumbai Indians’ decision to appoint Hardik Pandya as captain had been brewing since his remarkable stint with the Gujarat Titans, where he showcased his leadership skills, leading MI to victory in 2022 and a finals berth in 2023.
Several cricket experts, including Irfan Pathan, Sanjay Manjrekar, and Simon Doull, have weighed in on this significant leadership transition:
Irfan Pathan:
“Rohit Sharma has the same stature as what MS Dhoni has in CSK. Rohit has more or less built the team with his blood and sweat as a captain. He has contributed immensely and is involved in team meetings largely. He has been an exceptional captain and I would say he is a bowler’s captain. There’s no question that the last year wasn’t good for him. When it comes to Hardik Pandya, there were already Suryakumar and Bumrah in the team who have had lead India as captains. It’s surely going to be tough for him to manage these stalwarts and tough for management as well,” Irfan Pathan said.
Sanjay Manjrekar:
“We shouldn’t be thinking sentimentally or emotionally about Rohit Sharma. I think it’s a good move, Hardik Pandya is a proven leader who has had a great run, so he is your inform T20 captain and player. Rohit Sharma has been around for a long time. So, it makes a lot of cricketing sense to have someone like Hardik Pandya, I just hope he doesn’t feel the pressure of how this has all happened, the transfer and Mumbai Indians backing him so much. Rohit Sharma, he will be the same batter and continues to be the batter when he was captain also. So I don’t the leadership change at all,” Sanjay Manjrekar said.
Simon Doull:
“It’s a transition, And I think it’s a difficult transition from Rohit’s point of view and Hardik’s point of view, coming back to the franchise he loves and sort of help develop a winning strategy yet. A franchise he learned a lot from or probably a captain he learned a lot from. But this also a smart franchise and they are not champions for 5 times for nothing. They are business people through and through and I cannot believe for one second that there wasn’t a conversation with Rohit Sharma about bringing Hardik back,” Simon Doull said.
“He had to be part of that conversation because they are not ruthless, they are business people and he is a franchise guy. So there had to be a conversation around and a chat. And I think it would’ve been a mutual agreement. We want you to be there, through the first year at least and see what happens,” he added.
The appointment of Hardik Pandya as captain marks a significant shift in the Mumbai Indians’ leadership dynamics, with the team aiming for continued success in the upcoming IPL season.
Stay updated with all the cricketing action, follow Cricadium on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
[ad_2]
Source link
