Mumbai Indians is the most successful team in the history of Indian Premier League (IPL), and as the 2024 season approaches, they are gearing up for yet another thrilling campaign. One of the most significant changes for the team this year is the appointment of a new skipper. In a bold move that has captured the attention of cricket enthusiasts worldwide, the Mumbai Indians have appointed Hardik Pandya as the new skipper for the upcoming IPL season. This was quite shocking move because Pandya has replaced Rohit Sharma who was leading the team since a long time. Let’s see Why Mumbai Indians removed Rohit Sharma from captaincy ?
Rohit Sharma has established himself as one of the most successful captains the IPL has ever seen. From his debut with the Deccan Chargers in 2008 to his meteoric rise as the captain of the Mumbai Indians, Rohit has consistently showcased his leadership skills on the cricketing stage. Rohit has won a total of six trophies as the captain. Even after such a great reputation, he was told to step down from captaincy and pave way for Hardik Pandya.
Why Mumbai Indians removed Rohit Sharma from captaincy ?
Mumbai Indians head coach Mark Boucher has justified the decision to replace Rohit with Hardik as purely a cricketing decision. Boucher said that the decision was taken in order to remove extra bit of pressure off Rohit Sharma as a captain and in that way the team can get the best out of Rohit Sharma as a batsman. In the last four IPL seasons, Rohit has not been able to cross the mark of 400 runs. His average is also below 30 which is not good as an opener.