After three full IPL seasons, it is safe to say that Mumbai Indians’ (MI) decision to replace Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as captain has not worked out. Under Hardik’s leadership, MI finished rock-bottom IPL 2024 and could be staring at another wooden spoon in IPL 2026. Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwari suggested that Rohit Sharma has seen his MI heritage get destroyed in front of eyes. Tiwary expressed a wish for MI to hand captaincy back to Rohit next season.
“Rohit Sharma has seen his empire crumble – in front of his own eyes – over the last three years,” Tiwary said, speaking on cricbuzz.
“At times, you can see it through his expressions in the dugout. Deep down, he knows that had he been in charge, he may not have taken certain decisions,” Tiwary added.
Tiwary stated that he is certain that Mumbai Indians will have a new captain in 2027. He said that he expects Suryakumar Yadav to take over as captain, but expressed that he would like to see Rohit back at the helm.
“I am 200 per cent sure that next season Mumbai Indians will have a new captain, whether it is Suryakumar Yadav or jasprit bumrah. Keeping in mind that Bumrah is a fast bowler, who could suffer a sudden injury, they should go with Suryakumar Yadav,” Tiwary said.
“But I wish with my heart that Rohit is brought back (as captain), in order to reinstate some respect for him. If he comes back, he is capable of constructing a good team once again,” he stated.
Former India cricketer Murali Karthik added that MI’s decision to make Hardik captain over their retained stars like Rohit, Suryakumar and Bumrah was never going to go down well.
“Who were the players retained? Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav. Those were your three retentions. Suddenly, you bring in someone from outside. That is bound to destroy the atmosphere. Whatever the situation may be, players are naturally shocked,” Kartik said.
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