With the announcement of Hardik Pandya as Rohit Sharma’s successor on December 15, a new chapter has opened for Mumbai Indians, signifying not only a shift in leadership but also the end of an era marked by Rohit’s exceptional leadership that propelled the team to unprecedented heights. Pathan, in a conversation with Star Sports, highlighted the similarity between Rohit’s impact on Mumbai Indians and Dhoni’s iconic presence at CSK.
According to him, both leaders played the role of engineers and contributed to the success of their teams through dedication, hard work and unwavering commitment to team strategies and meetings.
This comparison underscores the huge imprint Rohit has left on Mumbai Indians, similar to the legendary status that MS Dhoni achieved with Chennai Super Kings.
“Rohit Sharma has a great stature in the team. For me, Rohit Sharma’s stature at Mumbai Indians is similar to Dhoni’s stature at CSK. Rohit Sharma has built the team with blood and sweat as a leader, and he has contributed a lot, always participating in the team meetings,” Irfan told Star Sports. .
Rohit Sharma sacked as Mumbai Indians captain? Hardik Pandya named new captain: IPL 2024
“He is a great captain, a bowling captain. Last year, despite (Jofra) Archer’s form and (Jasprit) Bumrah not being there, Rohit still had a great season in the Indian Premier League as a captain,” he added.
In the annals of Indian Premier League history, Rohit and Dhoni stand side by side, sharing the title of most successful captains. Rohit, who took charge of the team midway through the 2013 season, led Mumbai Indians to their first win in the tournament against CSK in a thrilling final.
The subsequent years in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020 witnessed Rohit’s prowess in captaincy, propelling Mumbai Indians to more victories. However, the cricket saga did not stop there.
Pathan, while acknowledging the challenges that awaited Hardik as he took up the mantle of captaincy, extended his support to the decision.
Hardik, who was released by Mumbai Indians ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction, has embarked on a new journey with Gujarat Titans. In an enthralling turn of events, he led the Titans to victory in the 2022 tournament, but faced defeat against MS Dhoni’s CSK in the 2023 IPL season, finishing as runners-up.
With the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and veteran Rohit in the Mumbai Indians roster, Irfan realized the complexity of Hardik’s task.
“Now, with SKY, Bumrah and Rohit, who have taken leadership roles at the international level, it will be a challenge for Hardik. The bottom line is managing MI and Hardik. It will not be easy for Hardik,” Irfan said.
(With IANS inputs)