Hardik gets his yorker right

In a dramatic sequence of events in the Indian Premier League (IPL) saga, Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has returned to his former franchise Mumbai Indians (MI). Rumours are rife that MI paid a staggering '15 crore for the cricketer.

Pandya had spent only two seasons with Gujarat Titans as captain, winning the trophy in 2022 and finishing as runner-up in 2023. Fans and experts are surprised by the latest development.

Although Pandya hasn’t been named the captain of MI, in all probability, he will lead the side in the next season, and the inference is that MI had decided to look for a replacement for their present skipper, Rohit Sharma.

Rohit is one of the most successful captains in the history of the IPL — leading MI to five IPL titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. So replacing someone of his calibre had to be a tough decision. What could have prompted the franchise to make the move?

Thinking ahead...

Cricket author and analyst Neeraj Jha says MI move was possibly triggered by concerns over Rohit’s less than stellar performances in the last two seasons of the IPL. He also feels that MI probably wants to groom Pandya as their captain from the next season (April 2024). “Rohit is done with T-20s and he is also thinking of quitting professional cricket. MI must be wanting to build the future team after Rohit,” says Neeraj. He feels it’s a win-win situation for both parties— Pandya can fill the leadership vacuum for MI while the franchise can benefit from his ‘all-rounder’ performance and leadership skills.

“It’s a great move because I believe Hardik still has several years of cricket left in him. He took his chance to get back to MI as he knows the importance of being part of that franchise. He shares cordial relations with the Ambanis too,” adds the cricket analyst.

End of Rohit @MI?

For now, MI has stopped at welcoming Pandya into the team. But at 36, Rohit is in the twilight of his T-20 career. It remains to be seen if he will even continue to lead Team India in the T-20 World Cup next year. Perhaps this could be one of the reasons why MI picked Pandya.

Former Indian cricket captain and selector Krish Srikkanth, on his YouTube channel, asserted that Pandya would definitely lead MI if he returns to the side in IPL 2024.

Whenever there’s a change in leadership, the focus is on making the transition smooth. Perhaps Rohit’s new role in MI will be to ensure like how Sachin Tendulkar paved the way for Rohit himself with the MI, and M.S. Dhoni for Virat Kohli in Team India.

Former Mumbai Indians cricketer Chetanya Nanda comments that it’s not easy to replace Rohit, who is a world-class player. He however adds that since the franchise is looking to groom the team of the future, maybe Rohit could be elevated to a higher role — like a team mentor. “I don’t think Rohit will be left out of the team immediately. You need his services as a player too. But since the transition has to be seamless during change of leadership, Rohit will be there to guide, transfer knowledge and pass on his wisdom,” shares Nanda.

Business sense

Since IPL is all about business and players’ performance affect corporate brands, it is imperative that franchises constantly look out for players who benefit business.

Given Rohit’s shortcomings in leading Team India to ICC trophies over the past year – losses in T-20 World Cup 2022, World Test Championship 2023, and the recent ICC ODI World Cup 2023, Pandya clearly emerges as the top contender for white-ball skipper for Team India too.
“MI might  have also felt Pandya could be potential Team India skipper and they looked at the business logic and welcomed him back. It’s a case of foresight and can be described as a business move,” Nandy says.

Nay-sayers unplugged

Meanwhile, even before the Pandya development, social media platforms were buzzing with negative predictions for Rohit Sharma. ‘Bad news for Rohit Sharma’ messages have been popping up on blogs, and gossip mongers predicted that it could be the ‘end of the road’ for him on the MI franchise. Pandya’s induction seems to justify the doomsday predictions for Rohit.

Bumrah miffed?

Amid rumours that Hardik Pandya is tipped to be the next Mumbai Indians captain, Team India and MI pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah’s cryptic Insta story is going viral. ‘Silence is the best answer,’ he posted, and fans are reading it as an expression of disappointment, as he had wished to lead the decorated franchise after Rohit.

“Having led Team India in Ireland and being a senior cricketer, Bumrah has every right to be hurt and disappointed because he assumed that he would be given the responsibility to lead the MI franchise after Rohit. But Pandya’s wild card entry has changed things for him. Moreover, I don’t think Pandya is a better choice because he (Pandya) is injury-prone. What if he misses out on crucial matches?” comments Vijay Boddupalli, performance analyst and cricket commentator.

I don’t think Rohit will be left out of the team immediately. You need his services as a player too. since the transition has to be seamless in the team during a change of leadership, Rohit will be there to guide and pass on the wisdom. MI might have felt Pandya could be a potential Team India skipper and looked at the business logic and welcomed him back. It’s a case of foresight —Chetanya Nanda, former Mumbai Indians player.