The five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians left their fans in shock as they abruptly removed Rohit Sharma from the captaincy position and appointed the Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya in his place. Though, three months have already passed since MI made this bold decision but the decision still continues to stir discussions.
Notably, Rohit Sharma has been leading the team since 2013, during which Mumbai Indians achieved tremendous success, becoming the first team to win the IPL title three, four and five times. However, after failing to reach the final since their 2020 triumph, MI opted for a change in the captaincy.
Harbhajan Singh Made A Big Revelation About Rohit Sharma’s Reaction
Talking about Hardik Pandya, the star all-rounder began his IPL journey with Mumbai Indians and spent the last two seasons with Gujarat Titans, where he impressed one and all with his captaincy skills. Under his captaincy, Gujarat Titans registered their maiden win 2022 and finished as runners-up in 2023.
Meanwhile, former Mumbai Indians spinner Harbhajan Singh has also opened up on the captaincy change. While some speculate that Rohit Sharma might have been informed about such a significant decision, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh holds a different view. Harbhajan suggests that the appointment would have come as a shock to Rohit Sharma. He expressed hope that the veteran batsman would continue to play a role within the leadership group of Mumbai Indians despite being relieved of the captaincy. He said:
“I hope it’s for the betterment of the Mumbai Indians going forward. You know, Rohit has been a true leader and a champion player for Mumbai Indians and India as well. Knowing him, after winning so many trophies for MI and done so well at the international level, it must have come as a shock to him to suddenly not be part of the leadership group,”
He added: “I’m sure he is going to be involved in some way or the other but we have seen Rohit growing as a player and captain and winning those five trophies. That speaks volumes about his captaincy. I don’t know; the management has taken the decision and I hope everyone takes it in the right spirit and Mumbai Indians plays like a champion side,”
IPL 2024 is scheduled to begin on March 22 with a high-voltage clash between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore. While Mumbai Indians will open their campaign on March 24 against Gujarat Titans.
