Any action taken by or involving Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma will be seen with scrutinizing eyes by the fans as the Mumbai Indians duo get ready to take the field amid rumours of a rift.
The latest of such talking points was given to the fans with a video released by the Mumbai Indians ahead of the IPL 2024. Mumbai Indians, on Monday, posted a video with their players in it; it also included owner Nita Ambani and mentor Sachin Tendulkar.
At the end of the video, all players gathered together. While a few players stood behind a sofa and a few sat beside it on chairs, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya were the only ones sitting on the sofa. However, both sat right at the edges of the sofa and not closer to each other.
Fans discussed this as a sign of a rift between Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya, something that had stemmed earlier from the fact that Pandya replaced Rohit as the MI captain. Netizens observed this significant gap between Rohit and Pandya on the sofa and made up theories.
Check out some reactions here:
Rohit Sharma will always have his hand on my shoulder: Hardik Pandya
Speaking at the pre-tournament press conference four days out from the start of the IPL 2024 season, Hardik was asked about his relationship with Rohit, who will lead India in the T20 World Cup in June but will play under him in the IPL.
Hardik Pandya said, “Rohit Sharma is captain of Indian team, which helps me, what this team has achieved, was achieved under his belt – I just carry forward, I played whole career under him and I know, he will always have his hand on my shoulder”.
He added: “Rohit has been in a fantastic touch. The way he’s hitting the ball against England was fantastic. I am looking forward to see him go out and express himself. If he has a fantastic season, we will be there in the dying stages of the tournament.”
Mumbai’s first match is against Hardik’s previous team, Gujarat Titans, in Ahmedabad.
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