Following the conclusion of the seventeenth Indian Premier League season, veteran cricketer Rohit Sharma of the Mumbai Indians is expected to leave the team. As the new captain of the five-time champion team, Hardik Pandya, took over for the seasoned Rohit, it is said that Rohit is disappointed with his selection.
The Nagpur native has stated his desire to leave MI since he is not pleased with the environment in the team’s locker room, according to News24 Sports. Additionally, there are rumours that parties inside the MI camp may have divided, with some supporting Rohit Sharma and others siding with the recently appointed skipper.
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Notably, a heated discussion has split cricket enthusiasts and experts alike over the change of the captain of such a strong team. But Hardik has faced backlash from pundits and online trolls, particularly after leading Mumbai to three straight losses in the league thus far. The Mumbai fans have taken a bad view of some of the new captain’s attempts, which has resulted in a great deal of animosity on social media.
Concerning the arguments between Hardik and Rohit Sharma, allegations of group mentality surfaced when bowling coach Lasith Malinga was observed leaving the room after Pandya joined Kieron Pollard and the former Lankan bowler at the table. The 29-year-old native of Baroda has also become accustomed to receiving jeers from the crowd. This was evident during his matches against the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium and the Wankhede Stadium, where Rohit had to physically halt the jeers.
Despite the Mumbai Indians’ lacklustre start, Hardik will be counting on himself to provide the goods and bring them back on track after three straight losses. Notably, the match versus the Delhi Capitals will take place at Wankhede on April 7. Therefore, all eyes will be on the captain to respond favourably to his critics in the next game.