'A dwarf is a dwarf even if he's standing at top of mountain' - Navjot Singh Sidhu on MI captaincy row

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 has kicked off, but the spotlight is firmly on the captaincy change at Mumbai Indians (MI). In a shocking move, MI's long-standing skipper Rohit Sharma was replaced by Hardik Pandya. This decision has sparked a heated debate, with former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu weighing in with his epic take on the row.

Pandya, who played for MI from 2015 to 2021, was transferred to Gujarat Titans (GT)  in an all-cash deal and was given the captaincy role. Under his leadership, Gujarat Titans emerged as IPL champions in 2022. Ahead of IPL 2024, Hardik was traded back to MI in an all-cash deal and was appointed as the new captain, replacing Rohit Sharma, who had led MI to five IPL titles.

In MI's opening match against Gujarat Titans, Hardik's captaincy decisions were heavily criticized, with fans booing him throughout the match after MI's six-run defeat. Navjot Singh Sidhu, known for his candid remarks, shared his thoughts on the captaincy change.

Sidhu said, "A dwarf is a dwarf even if he is standing at the top of a mountain and a God is a God even if they are standing at the bottom of a well," Sidhu said during the analysis on Star Sports.

Also read: Mohammed Shami on Hardik Pandya's batting position at Mumbai Indians

"Dhoni has passed the baton already and that could have happened in Mumbai Indians as well. But this is a franchise and they look at the performances. They gave it three years and when it did not work, they got a new person for the job. You need to accept it. But Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni are great players," he further added.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians' newly appointed batting coach Kieron Pollard defended Pandya's decision to open the bowling and to bat at number seven in their opening match. "You have to plan and decide what you want to do as a team. Hardik (Pandya) has also bowled with the new ball for Gujarat over the last couple of years. He swung the new ball and bowled it well, which was nothing new to us,"  Pollard said at the post-match press conference.

"We tried to use the advantage of the new ball swinging along. When I look at the decision made, there is nothing wrong with it, and we move on," he concluded. 

MI has had a history of losing their opening games of the season, but that hasn't stopped them from lifting trophies previously. Moving on from the defeat, the Mumbai based-franchise flew down to Hyderabad to play their second game against Sunrisers Hyderabad which is scheduled to be played on March 27.