IPL: 3 Players who can successfully lead Mumbai Indians in Rohit Sharma's absence

Rohit Sharma took over the captaincy of the Mumbai Indians franchise midway in 2013 after Ricky Ponting stepped down. It turned out to be the biggest masterstroke for the team and marked the beginning of a new era. The hitman has led the team to four titles, and become the most successful captain in the tournament’s history.

He has now become the face of the squad, a player whom the Mumbai-based franchise would never let go. However, the workload factor is always a concern for such players and BCCI always wants to give adequate rest to them. In such case, there needs to be a stand-in skipper ready for emergency situations.

On this note, let us take a look at 3 such players from the current MI squad, who can lead the team in Rohit Sharma’s absence:

1. Quinton de Kock

Quinton de Kock has been an integral part of the South African cricket team and was recently handed over the captaincy of the T20I side. Under his astute leadership, the SA squad managed to hold India at 1-1 draw, despite being an underdog. His own performance was at its peak as the southpaw finished with 139 runs in two games with two half-centuries.

Though it would be too early to judge, De Kock has impressed everyone in his initial games as a captain. He had an excellent outing in IPL 2019, where he scored 529 runs in 16 games, thereby playing a key role in Mumbai Indians finishing as the champions of the tournament.

Mumbai Indians did not have a vice-captain last time around. But they might not hesitate in appointing Kock as the stand-in skipper this time around, given his vast experience of Indian conditions, and a successful IPL career of 50 games. His captaincy will benefit all the departments of the team, just like it did for the SA side.

2. Kieron Pollard

When Rohit Sharma was injured in 2019, it was Kieron Pollard who came in as the stand-in skipper for the team. It turned out to be one of the most memorable games of the season, with special credit going to the West Indian all-rounder. In a high-pressure game, he produced his best IPL knock, a 31-ball-83 that helped MI win an almost lost game.

The 32-year-old Pollard has been a trusted match-winner for his team for seasons now. Moreover, his international experience is another important factor that helps the team. A player with such experience always knows the art of guiding youngsters and leading from the front.

Being an all-rounder, Pollard can guide the players of both batsmen and bowlers. He has captained the West Indian team in the past, and MI might also like to utilize such a player to his fullest.

3. Jasprit Bumrah

Though Jasprit Bumrah doesn’t have any past captaincy experience, the ace Indian pacer has all the traits to lead the Mumbai Indians team. Virat Kohli has often stressed upon the fact of a bowling captain, a player who heads the field settings and leads the bowling attacks.

Kohli has also credited Bumrah as the man who has often done this job in every condition. It needs no revision that Bumrah has the best knowledge of field settings and the line and lengths to be bowled to each batsman, a quality that has helped him gain excellence in all formats of the game.

Jasprit Bumrah’s experience would largely help the other bowlers of the team, who are relatively inexperienced. It would be interesting for fans to witness Bumrah in a leadership role if appointed.