The Mumbai Indians surprised their supporters by choosing Hardik Pandya as the new captain of MI in December 2023, ending the illustrious tenure of Rohit Sharma as Mumbai captain from 2013 to 2023. Hardik came back to the MI crease on the final day of player retention, leaving a significant void at Gujarat Titans. The decision to replace Rohit with Pandya as MI captain acquired a mixed reaction. Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has now shared his thoughts on this move of MI, stating that ‘Hardik’s leadership will only benefit the franchise. Also, browse iplcricbet to get the most recent news about Cricket and IPL 2024.
Analysis of Gavaskar
Speaking to Star Sports, Gavaskar expressed his view, saying, “They’ve always had an eye on the future of the franchise. Rohit Sharma, at 36, faces substantial pressure as the captain of India across all three formats. By handing some of that responsibility to the young shoulders of Hardik Pandya, they aim to alleviate some of that burden.”
Gavaskar continued, “Choosing Hardik as captain will only prove advantageous for the Mumbai Indians. It now allows Rohit the freedom to express himself at the top of the batting lineup. Hardik can then slot in at either No. 3 or No. 5 and consistently contribute to posting totals exceeding 200 runs.”
Revival Opportunity for Rohit
MI had a great run from 2013 to 2023, winning the IPL title five times, under Rohit Sharma. Moreover, the batting performance of Rohit has plunged in recent seasons. In 2023, he had an unassuming performance, scoring 332 runs with an average of 132.80. He has only achieved the 400 run mark in a season once since 2019, and he will fail to reach 300 in 2022. Rohit, being free of added duties, has the opportunity to restore his form and reclaim his IPL dominance in 2024.
Leadership Experience of Hardik
Hardik guided GT to victory in their debut season in 2022, with the franchise finishing as runners-up last year. Thus, he possesses IPL leadership experience and will be sufficiently confident to assume the captaincy from Rohit in the upcoming season.
MI Playing XI for IPL 2024
MI’s strongest XI following the latest auction in Dubai is as follows:
Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (Captain), Mohammad Nabi, Tim David, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah, Dilshan Madushanka
Conclusion:-
The choice of Mumbai Indians to choose Hardik Pandya captain represents a big departure from the Rohit Sharma era. Sunil Gavaskar’s analysis stresses the strategic decision to reduce Rohit’s workload while maximising Pandya’s leadership potential. With Rohit liberated of additional responsibilities, there is hope for his batting resurgence, while Pandya’s earlier leadership experience provides depth to MI’s IPL 2024 squad. Visit iplcricbet daily to get the most recent news about cricket and IPL 2024.
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