Mumbai Indians (MI) are set to embark on a new journey in the upcoming IPL 2024, albeit with a controversial change at the helm, with Hardik Pandya replacing Rohit Sharma as their captain.
Hardik is taking over from the illustrious five-time champion skipper Rohit, as MI is gearing up to kickstart the IPL 2024 season against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on March 24.
Speaking about the shift in MI’s leadership, former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh believes that Rohit’s performance is unlikely to be affected by the change.
However, Harbhajan, who has a rich history with MI throughout his IPL career, admitted that there will be pressure on Hardik, and the team management will find it tough to maintain unity within the dressing room amidst this shake-up.
Harbhajan Singh said on his official YouTube channel: “We hope that MI play as a unit, because if they do that, it would be difficult to stop them. For Hardik, and for the management, the big challenge is to unify the team. As much as I know Rohit Sharma, he's a very simple guy.”
The former Indian spinner continued, “He will never talk about this decision publicly. But one thing is certain, a five-time champion, and the guy who almost won the World Cup... it is shocking. Maybe, this decision could have been delayed by an year. Ability wise, Hardik Pandya is well capable. But the team will only win if it is unified. That's the biggest challenge for MI.”
Harbhajan also feels the upcoming IPL 2024 could be Rohit’s best ever season thanks to the change in the MI’s captaincy. He explained, “There has been no statement from Rohit Sharma on this entire saga. He's a quiet person, he will just move on from this. I think he will give his best shot, and support Hardik and the team.”
He signed off by saying, “On the inside, there might be some anguish. Maybe, this will be Rohit Sharma's best season in IPL. Because sometimes, you have to show that you are still pretty capable. Jo chingaari ki zarurat thi, vo lag chuki hai. Ab aag me kaise convert karenge, vo dekhna hai (The spark is there, he just have to start the fire).”
