After the team’s lackluster performances in recent editions, former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar supported Mumbai India’s decision to remove veteran captain Rohit Sharma and give Hardik Pandya the reins.
“The Mumbai Indians made this decision with the good of their team in mind. Rohit hasn’t played much with the bat in the previous two years. He used to score a lot, and if my memory serves me well, MI finished last two seasons ago. They made it to the playoffs last year, but the Josh [spirit] that we know and love from him has been absent. Maybe he’s worn out from playing cricket nonstop and leading India,” Gavaskar said to Star Sports.
The Gujarat Titans, Pandya’s former team, made it to the finals twice; they won the first and came in second in the second.
Even still, the choice to bench Rohit, who led Mumbai to three IPL championships, is still dividing the fan base; since the announcement, the team has lost about 500,000 Instagram followers.
However, Gavaskar is adamant that the franchise should have chosen new leadership at this time.
“Hardik is a youthful, inexperienced captain who has produced the desired outcomes. He once won a title while leading the Gujarat Titans to two IPL finals. I’m very sure they kept all of this in mind when they made him captain. Fresh ideas are sometimes what you need, and Hardik can provide them. “Making Hardik the captain won’t hurt the team, but it might not help either,” Gavaskar continued.