Plenty of things seem off in the ‘One Family’ right now. Hardik Pandya, the new Mumbai Indians skipper, has unfollowed former MI captain Rohit Sharma after Ritika Sajdeh’s Instagram comment went viral.
Earlier this week, MI head coach Mark Boucher appeared on the Smash Sports podcast, where he explained that replacing Rohit with Hardik Pandya as the new Mumbai Indians captain was “purely a cricketing decision,” alluding that the team is now in a “transition phase”.
Ritika Sajdeh, Rohit’s wife, commented, “So many things wrong with this.”
Hardik Pandya unfollows Rohit Sharma on Instagram
Soon after Hardik Pandya was announced as the new Mumbai Indians captain, senior MI cricketers Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah also posted cryptic Instagram stories and reports have emerged of unrest in the MI camp with the appointment of Hardik at the helm. The all-rounder who led Gujarat Titans to an IPL trophy and a runner-up position returned to the franchise where he spent 7 years, but reportedly put a pre-condition of being named the captain ahead of the trade.
Only a couple of days after Ritika Sajdeh’s bombshell Instagram comment under coach Mark Boucher’s video, Hardik Pandya unfollowed Rohit Sharma on Instagram, which hints further at strife between the two senior India and MI players. Rohit is also not following Hardik right now.
What did Mark Boucher say that caused Ritika to make that comment?
Boucher also pointed out that Rohit’s form with the bat hasn’t been the best in the last two seasons.
Boucher said, “I think it was purely a cricketing decision. We saw the window period to get Hardik back as a player. For me it’s a transition phase. A lot of people don’t understand in India, people get quite emotional, but you know you take the emotions away from it. I think it’s just more of a cricketing decision that was made and I do think it is going to bring the best out of Rohit as a person as a player. Just let him go out and enjoy and score some good runs.”
Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya is currently recovering from an ankle injury that he sustained during the World Cup. He will return straight in the IPL 2024 in March.
Also Read: VIDEO: MS Dhoni’s Touching Interaction With A Young Fan In Deori Mandir Goes Viral
