Sunil Gavaskar thinks Mumbai Indians made a good move by appointing Hardik Pandya the captain as the all-rounder will bring in “fresh thinking” in the team.
The former India captain thinks that Rohit Sharma, the outgoing skipper, looked “fatigued” and that affected his batting as well.
“See, we don’t have to look at it (the decision to appoint Hardik as MI captain) as right or wrong. The decision they (MI) have taken has been for the benefit of the team.
“We can say that the contribution of Rohit, even with the bat, has become slightly lesser,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.
“Earlier, there used to be a lot of contribution (with bat) from Rohit, but in the last few years, they have finished at number 9 or 10. And last year they qualified for the playoffs, but the ‘josh’ (enthusiasm) of Mumbai Indians was not there to be seen as we have seen in the past.
“Maybe because he has played cricket continuously, he must have been fatigued, constantly captaining the Indian side and then the Mumbai Indians,” added Gavaskar.
Hardik, after leading Gujarat Titans to title triumph in the team’s inaugural year in 2022, also led his side to a runners-up finish this year.
“So, the decision that they (MI) have taken, he is a young player, young in terms of captaining a side, who has proven himself, taking Gujarat Titans to the finals twice and winning it once.
“So with the same thought process, they have made him captain. Because sometimes you need that fresh thinking, and he can bring that and I think the decision that has been taken, Mumbai Indians can benefit from it and it won’t damage them,” he added.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan said the biggest challenge for Hardik would be to manage senior players like Rohit, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah, all of whom are leaders themselves.
“Now that this decision about Hardik has been taken, I think Suryakumar was involved in this discussion, Bumrah was in it as well.
“So for Hardik, the biggest challenge will be with all these people — Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar, Bumrah, who are leaders themselves, they have been captains of the Indian team in the past.
“Hardik will have to learn to manage these guys and it will be his biggest challenge. And this won’t be easy for him,” said Pathan.
He compared Rohit’s stature with that of Dhoni, saying the stalwart had built the Mumbai franchise with his hard work and commitment.
“The stature that Rohit Sharma has in Mumbai Indians, I think it can be compared to the stature that Dhoni has in CSK. He has made this team with his own hard work and dedication through his captaincy.
“He’s a great captain who has carried this team for years,” said Pathan.
With inputs from PTI
