Rohit Sharma (L) and Hardik Pandya© AFP
Former Indian cricket team star Manoj Tiwary believes Mumbai Indians can hand back the Mumbai Indians captaincy to Rohit Sharma ahead of the franchise’s next match in IPL 2024. Under the leadership of new skipper Hardik Pandya, MI has lost three matches in a row and currently they lie at the bottom of the points table. The decision to replace Rohit with Hardik as MI skipper created a lot of buzz among fans and pundits ahead of the tournament. With MI facing Delhi Capitals on April 7, Tiwary said the change in captaincy could happen during the break.
“It could be an indication that he is under pressure. If someone is not bowling after opening the bowling in the last three matches and that too on a pitch where the ball was swinging. There was swing in the first innings and even bowlers of Mumbai Indians including (Jasprit) Bumrah produced a lot of swing. Hardik’s ball would have also swung but the reception he got in Mumbai put him under pressure.”
“I want to see something big. I somehow feel that MI might give the captaincy back to Rohit during this break. It’s a huge decision because as much as I understand the franchises and owners, they have no hesitation in taking it over. ” to take decisions. You started it when you took over the captaincy from Rohit and gave it to Hardik. Changing a captain from five-time champions is a huge task.”
“The team has no points on the board and the captaincy has also been all over the place. Not that the captaincy has been very good and they have been unlucky. Mistakes have been made when it comes to captaincy.” said Tiwary during the discussion about Itch.
Legendary Indian batsman Virender Sehwag was also part of the discussion panel and he said that MI once lost five matches under Rohit’s captaincy before winning the tournament in the same season. As a result, he thinks predicting a move like removing Hardik as captain is too premature.
“What he said about Pandya, I think that was a bit rash. Even under Rohit’s captaincy, the team has lost five games in a row. That year they became champions. So we have to show some patience. I think it’s too early is to say that and that we have to wait two more matches before we can make such a prediction,” replied the former Indian cricket team batsman.
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