Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh shared his opinion on the captaincy change of the Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of the upcoming IPL 2024. He suggested that Rohit Sharma should have been given one more year as the MI captain, with Hardik Pandya serving as his deputy.
MI faced criticism from their fans when they appointed Hardik as the team's new captain. This decision came after Hardik's return to the franchise from the Gujarat Titans. Despite leading the MI to five IPL titles, Rohit was replaced by Hardik, and the move didn’t go well with many.
Reacting to the controversy, Yuvraj believes that retaining Rohit as the captain, even with Hardik's return to the team, would have facilitated a smoother transition period for the franchise.
Yuvraj Singh said on Star Sports: “Rohit Sharma is a 5-time IPL winner as a captain. Removing him is a big decision. I would have gotten someone in, like they brought Hardik (Pandya), but I still would have given Rohit one more season and let Hardik be the vice-captain and see how the whole franchise works.”
He added, “I understand from the franchise's point of view, they have to see the future of the franchise. But then again, Rohit is captaining India and still playing well, so it's a big decision.”
The former MI all-rounder admitted that Hardik has great talent, but leading a big franchise like Mumbai would be a different thing than leading the Gujarat Titans due to expectations and pressure.
He signed off by saying, “In terms of talent, yes, he has great talent. Being captain of Gujarat will be different from being captain of Mumbai. Expectations are a lot. Mumbai Indians have been a big side.”
(With Star Sports Inputs)
