Cricket expert Harsha Bhogle gave his reaction on Hardik Pandya replacing Rohit Sharma as the skipper of Mumbai Indians (MI) for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Harsha Bhogle said that it was an open secret that Hardik will replace Rohit as MI captain.
“That Hardik Pandya would be captain of @mipaltan was an open secret. Rohit Sharma can lay claim to being, with MS Dhoni, the finest leader in the #IPL. It may not be a bad idea to let him relax and have fun because the IPL can take a lot out of you and he will have led India in 5 tests a little before that,” Harsha Bhogle wrote on his X account.
The cricket expert also went on to add that Hardik will now be facing a big challenge as the skipper considering the number of star players MI have in their ranks. While this is a move keeping in mind the next few years, it will be a huge challenge for Hardik given the number of stars in the side and the ambition of the franchise. It makes #MumbaiIndians the team to watch this year,” Bhogle added.
Rohit Sharma has been an absolute legend for MI, scripting countless wins for the franchise through his batting and leadership. However, considering Rohit’s age and deteriorating fitness, MI might have taken the call as a long-term solution, bringing replacing him with Pandya. Earlier, the five-time champs MI purchased Pandya for a whopping sum of INR 15 crores from Gujarat Titans in a cash deal.