The Mumbai Indians (MI) were the talk of the town back in May when it became known that the franchise’s skipper, Rhode Sharma, would be stepping down to make way for Hardik Pandya’s appointment as the new captain.
This brings us to the question of the reason behind this expulsion of a longtime MI supporter, and it is something that continues to puzzle both the supporters and the organization itself. Rohit, the team’s leading light, has been a significant element in their clinching the IPL title five times, has an individual record in scoring the highest runs, and has become the face of the club’s turnaround in the league. No one can beat that.
The Indian cricket player who quit, Robin Uthappa, briefly summarizes the events by presenting three aspects that may be helpful in realizing the decision. MI had named Rohit captain because of his exceptional leadership skills.
So, he was anointed with captaincy halfway through 2013 and enjoyed the full support from the star players and the fans. On the another way, Uthappa refers to Rohit’s recent as a batsman, the fact that the group has been unable to secure a title since 2020, as the reason such a change is necessary.
Alas, a single score of 400 since 2019; statistically, Rohit has only done it this year. Last year (2022) was undoubtedly his poorest IPL season, being the only one that scored only 268 runs at an average of 19. For the first time, MI had to settle for the last place in the table despite all the seasons they won the cups. Although they fought their way into the playoffs the following season, Rohit’s batting performance did not meet the requirements.
The fact that Rohit Sharm is still part of the team did not stop the speculations and debates which fans shared among themselves. On the other hand, Uthappa says that MI’s keeping of Rohit is not ordinary because that franchise often makes critical decisions that have already been made internally. If the captaincy change can bring new leadership values to Mumbai Indians, then only time will tell the actual effect as they continue their IPL 2024 journey.
