‘Rohit Sharma is already 36’ - Sunil Gavaskar reflects on Hardik Pandya being named new MI skipper
"Look they have always thought about the future of the franchise. Rohit Sharma is already 36 years old and also faces immense pressure being the captain of India for all three formats," Gavaskar said.
In a major development ahead of the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), it was announced that Mumbai Indians will have a captaincy change in the new season of the marquee tournament and ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya will be taking over the reins from veteran skipper Rohit Sharma.
However, after many came forward to scrutinise the decision to remove Rohit as MI skipper, there were some who were in support of Pandya taking over the captaincy. Among the many in support of Pandya’s captaincy was former Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar. The 74-year-old recently came forward to talk about how he sees sense in MI’s decision to make Pandya the new skipper and brought forth Rohit Sharma’s age in the discussion.
"Look they have always thought about the future of the franchise. Rohit Sharma is already 36 years old and also faces immense pressure being the captain of India for all three formats. They have tried to reduce some of that burden and give that responsibility on the young shoulders of Hardik Pandya," Gavaskar told Star Sports.
Handing Hardik the captaincy is going to benefit the Mumbai Indians: Gavaskar
Furthermore, Sunil Gavaskar opined that Pandya being the new MI skipper will benefit the franchise as the star all-rounder has experience leading sides. It is worth noting that Pandya led Gujarat Titans to their maiden IPL title win in their first season in 2022 and the summit clash in the subsequent season as well.
On the other hand, Rohit Sharma has a vast amount of experience playing in the IPL. Leading Mumbai Indians to five titles, Rohit is one of the two most successful skippers in IPL history, but Pandya donning the leadership mantle of the five-time champions could be an interesting take.
"Handing Hardik the captaincy is only going to benefit the Mumbai Indians. They have now given the freedom to Rohit to go and express himself freely at the top of the order. Hardik can then come at No.3 or No.5 and help them post totals of 200-plus consistently," Gavaskar said.
Also Read: Hardik Pandya joins Amit Shah to inaugurate Gandhinagar Premier League
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