Rohit Sharma Captaincy: S Sreesanth believes Rohit Sharma will be a strong contender for the Orange Cap this season. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya’s team, MI, has yet to secure their first win in IPL 2024.
MI has faced three defeats in as many games. Hardik Pandya is facing a tough challenge to prove himself as Rohit Sharma’s rightful successor in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Since joining forces with Rohit Sharma at MI for the new season, all-rounder Hardik has been dealing with criticism from fans. Even at the Wankhede Stadium, some fans have been reluctant to support their new leader.
Hardik Pandya faced continued hostility from the crowd during MI’s first home game of IPL 2024 against Rajasthan Royals. Not only did MI supporters boo Hardik, but they also chanted ‘Rohit-Rohit’ across the Wankhede Stadium, expressing their disapproval of the change in leadership.
Former Indian pacer Shanthakumaran Nair Sreesanth believes that Rohit Sharma would be comfortable playing under the leadership of Pandya this season. Drawing a comparison, Sreesanth mentioned Sachin Tendulkar playing under MS Dhoni’s captaincy during the World Cup-winning campaign, suggesting that Rohit could similarly thrive under Pandya’s leadership.
During the match where Hardik Pandya faced hostility from fans, Rohit Sharma, a veteran opener for MI, scored a golden duck as Mumbai struggled against Rajasthan Royals at home.
Sreesanth believes that Rohit Sharma will aim to score the most runs in IPL 2024, known as winning the Orange Cap. As a former fast bowler for RR, Sreesanth has confidence in Rohit’s ability to excel in the T20 World Cup year.
Knowing Rohit well, Sreesanth predicts that he will bat without the burden of captaincy, aiming for the Orange Cap. Despite not leading from the front as captain this season, Sreesanth is certain that Rohit will still play a crucial role for Mumbai Indians.
Sreesanth suggests that Rohit’s leadership style might shift to a more supportive role this season, leading Mumbai Indians from behind the scenes. He expects Rohit to contribute significantly to the team’s success, even without the official captaincy title.
Rohit Sharma faced a tough time at Wankhede Stadium, setting an unwanted record. The former Mumbai Indians captain’s performance as a batter didn’t meet expectations. In the first three games of IPL 2024, Rohit scored only 69 runs, averaging just 23.00. His highest score was 43, and he batted at a strike rate of 164.28 for Mumbai.
Rohit Sharma’s struggle resulted in him matching Dinesh Karthik’s record for the most ducks in IPL matches at Wankhede Stadium. Both players have now faced 17 ducks in the T20 tournament.
Former cricketer Sreesanth acknowledged Rohit’s challenging phase but urged everyone to embrace change. He emphasized that regardless of the team Rohit plays for, his approach to the game remains the same. Sreesanth expressed confidence that Rohit would overcome this rough patch and perform exceptionally well in the upcoming matches. He believes that Rohit will bounce back strongly and make significant contributions to his team’s success this season.
