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Hardik Pandya (left) and Rohit Sharma© BCCI
Indian cricket team’s legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar has supported the decision taken by Mumbai Indians to appoint Hardik Pandya as captain instead of Rohit Sharma ahead of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The decision has divided the fan base with rumors of a rift between the two players dominating the headlines. Pandya completed a sensational trade from Gujarat Titans and his appointment as captain brought an end to Rohit’s ten-year tenure. In a recent analysis. Gavaskar said that Pandya as captain will benefit the franchise and as a result, Rohit will have the freedom to play without any pressure.
“Look, they have always thought about the future of the franchise. Rohit Sharma is already 36 years old and is also facing immense pressure, being India’s captain in all three formats. They have tried to reduce some of that burden and give him that responsibility. about the young shoulders of Hardik Pandya,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
“By handing over Hardik, the captaincy will only benefit Mumbai Indians. They have now given the freedom to Rohit to go and express himself freely at the top of the order. Hardik can then come in at number 3 or number 5 and help post consistently a total of more than 200,” added Gavaskar.
Meanwhile, MI coach Mark Boucher explained the thought process that went into making this difficult decision.
“I think it was purely a cricketing decision. We saw the window period for Hardik to come back as a player. For me it is a transitional phase. A lot of people don’t understand in India, people get very emotional, but you know you take the emotions away. “I think it’s more of a cricketing decision that was made and I think it’s going to bring out the best in Rohit as a person and as a player. Just let him go out and enjoy and score some good runs,” Mark Boucher said on the Smash podcast Sports.
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