Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra believes Hardik Pandya is still evolving as a captain, despite his successful stint with the Gujarat Titans (GT). Chopra emphasized that Mumbai Indians need to guide Hardik Pandya to become an accomplished leader.
Hardik Pandya has rejoined Mumbai Indians (MI) from Gujarat Titans (GT) in a cash swap. He has been appointed as the captain of the Mumbai team for the upcoming IPL season. The all-rounder will lead the five-time champion in place of Rohit Sharma.
Rohit Sharma led the franchise to five IPL trophies and one Champions League title during his decade of captaincy, from 2013 to 2023. He took over the captaincy from Ricky Ponting in 2013. His departure as captain marked the conclusion of a notable era .
Ashish Nehra had a tremendous role in the making of Hardik Pandya – Aakash Chopra
Speaking on JioCinema’s daily sports show ‘#AAKASHVANI’, akash chopra credited Ashish Nehra for playing a crucial role in developing Hardik Pandya’s captaincy skills with the Gujarat Titans.
“It is my understanding and not internal news. When Hardik (Pandya) decided to move out of Gujarat, captaincy could have been part of the deal. This decision would also have been definitely communicated to Rohit Sharma. “Rohit would also have been informed about the future plans of Mumbai Indians.” Chopra said.
“I feel Ashish Nehra played a tremendous role in making Hardik the captain he was at Gujarat Titans. So Mumbai’s work is cut off. They have to provide inputs at a different level for Hardik to replicate on the field because I don’t think Hardik, as a captain, is a finished product yet.”
There is no one bigger than a team – Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra described Rohit Sharma Resigning as captain of the Mumbai Indians is the end of an era. Chopra emphasized the importance of recognizing the right time for leadership transition for the future of the team.
“Rohit is a legend. It’s the end of an era. He led the team for 10 years and won five IPL titles. He worked hard for this and also gained a lot of fame. But there comes a time when you start thinking about the future. To be fair, the last two years have been average for MI, considering the high standards they have set for themselves.”
“While it is extremely important to give someone a chance at the right time, it is even more critical to decide when to let someone go. There has been talk on social media that Rohit should have been allowed to leave on his own terms or that he should have been allowed to lead MI in a match before Hardik was asked to take over. I personally do not subscribe. There is no one bigger than a team.” Chopra concluded.
Rohit Sharma scored wins for Mumbai Indians in five seasons (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020), making him the joint record holder for most IPL titles along with MS Dhoni. He led the team to 87 wins in 158 games, achieving a winning percentage of 55.06.
Also Read: Suryakumar Yadav reacts with broken heart emoji to Hardik Pandya’s announcement as MI captain for IPL 2024