Sunil Gavaskar spoke candidly on the Mumbai Indians' decision to name Hardik Pandya as captain instead of Rohit Sharma for the IPL 2024. The renowned cricketer believes that changing guard at the Mumbai Indians will improve the team, which holds the joint record for most Indian Premier League (IPL) titles.
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| Mumbai Indians Elevate Hardik Pandya to Captaincy for IPL 2024 Season |
Mumbai Indians Make History with All-Cash Acquisition of Hardik Pandya
Following an outstanding 2023 season in the cash-rich league, the Mumbai Indians completed a record all-cash transaction by acquiring all-rounder Hardik Pandya from Gujarat Titans (GT) prior to the auction. Pandya returned to the Mumbai Indians after helping Gujarat Titans reach two consecutive IPL finals. As captain of the Gujarat-based club in his final season, Pandya led GT to the 2022 IPL final against MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings.
After serving as Rohit's deputy in Team India, Pandya, the hard-hitting all-rounder, was elected MI's new captain following his strong performances at Wankhede Stadium.
Gavaskar recently indicated why a leadership transition was coming in the Mumbai camp. "They have always considered the franchise's future. Rohit Sharma is 36 years old and faces enormous pressure as India's captain in all forms. He attempted to lighten the weight and transfer it on Hardik Pandya's young shoulders," Gavaskar told Star Sports. Rohit Sharma, an experienced opener, scored 332 runs in 16 matches last season. Last season, the Indian team's captain in all formats led MI to the playoffs.
Under Rohit's leadership, MI won 87 games and lost 67. In the absence of normal captain Hardik, he has also led Team India. "Appointing Hardik as captain will only benefit the Mumbai Indians." They have now allowed Rohit to go up the hierarchy and express himself freely. Hardik can come in at number three or five and help score consistently above 200," Gavaskar added.
