The Mumbai Indians management faced several criticisms after they announced Hardik Pandya as the next captain in the IPL 2024 replacing Rohit Sharma. Nevertheless, according to former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar, the franchise has made the right decision.
Sunil Gavaskar emphasized that the shift in leadership would alleviate Rohit’s captaincy responsibilities. He also recognized Mumbai Indians as a team that consistently focuses on future prospects.
In a major trade, Hardik Pandya made a return to the Mumbai Indians from the Gujarat Titans in November 2023. Merely four days before the IPL 2024 auctions, Mumbai declared Hardik as the captain of the team. It eventually ended a decade-long tenure of Rohit Sharma as the captain of the side.
“Look, they have always thought about the future of the franchise. Rohit Sharma is already 36 years old and also faces immense pressure, being the captain of India for all three formats. They have tried to reduce some of that burden and give that responsibility on the young shoulders of Hardik Pandya,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
“Handing Hardik the captaincy is only going to benefit the Mumbai Indians. They have now given the freedom to Rohit to go and express himself freely at the top of the order. Hardik can then come at No.3 or No.5 and help them post totals of 200-plus consistently,” Gavaskar added.
