Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar reacted to the appointment of Hardik Pandya as captain of the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He said Rohit Sharma’s removal as team captain should not provoke sentiments.
One of the biggest events in IPL history took place on Friday (December 15). The most successful joint captain in the history of the tournament, Rohit Sharma, has been removed as the leader of Mumbai Indians. His time as captain came to an end after 10 long years.
Rohit Sharma was replaced by Hardik Pandya, who will now take over the team. The move left many wondering why Rohit gave his sweat and blood for the team in the last 10 years and made them the most successful team in the tournament with 5 titles to their name.
The decision to remove Rohit Sharma and appoint Hardik Pandya as captain did not go down well with many. The senior opener was expected to captain the team for at least a few seasons. But it was not meant to be that way as Hardik’s trade with Mumbai Indians all but confirmed that he would captain the team.
Hardik Pandya was recently transferred to Mumbai Indians after leading the Gujarat Titans for two years. The all-rounder played for seven long years in Mumbai before changing teams. That he was not loyal to his former franchise and now took over the captaincy did not sit well with many fans.
Sanjay Manjrekar shared his opinion on the same and stated that Hardik Pandya becoming captain of Mumbai Indians is a good decision. He believes the all-rounder is a proven leader and Rohit Sharma should not be thought of emotionally. Speaking to Star Sports, he explained:
“Rohit Sharma should not be thought sentimentally or emotionally. I think it is a good move as Hardik Pandya is a proven leader and has had a great run. So, he is their captain and in-form T20 player.”
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Sanjay Manjrekar further pointed out that Rohit Sharma has been around for a long time and hence Hardik Pandya taking on the role is a good thing. He hopes the all-rounder doesn’t feel pressure. He explained:
“Rohit has been around for a long time. So, it makes a lot of sense in cricket to have someone like Hardik. I just hope that he doesn’t feel the pressure of how the transfer happened and that Mumbai Indians support him as much.”
Rohit Sharma took over the leadership of Mumbai Indians in 2013, midway through Ricky Ponting. He guided the team to five titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. Now it will be Hardik Pandya’s responsibility to take his legacy forward and lead the team to more glory. The all-rounder captained GT to win the title in its inaugural edition of the league in 2022 and asserted his authority as captain. In 2023, he led the team to the final and hoped to silence all criticism by winning the title for MI.