Time to reset as Mumbai Indians enter transition

All good things must come to an end, goes the old adage. If our hearts stopped for a bit upon learning about Rohit Sharma's departure as the Mumbai Indians skipper, we may just be too prone to ignoring the bigger picture. Whether or not Hardik Pandya can fill in his shoes for the forthcoming IPL season is too soon to tell. But any T20 setup lays down an unprecedented premium on athleticism and vitality, and Sharma himself knows it too well. The appointment of Pandya as his successor will, more than anything, infuse fresh energy and confidence in the most successful IPL team, but there are potential downsides to this.

"Surely, they have put a lot of thought into this. There is no doubt over Pandya's abilities as a captain, but let's face it, he will be under tremendous pressure to perform, lead, and execute those plans. It will be interesting to see how Rohit performs under Pandya's leadership. Mumbai have plenty of match-winners, even without Rohit. So, it will be a tough job for the bloke, but if we look at the brighter side, these match-winners can come together to contribute and it will be for the collective good. We are not expecting a trophy out of him but we hope to have a good season," a source privy to developments at the MI franchise told Mid-Day on Monday, hours before the IPL 2024 auction took centre stage in Dubai.

"We all are aware that Rohit is not going to stay forever. He has been very successful as a captain in the MI jersey, so moving on from him was a tough decision to make. But Rohit was duly informed and he agreed. Contrary to all the media reports that are doing rounds, I would like to say that there is no ill will among players due to the change in leadership. Those claims are baseless," he agreed. Staying true to the MI philosophy of being future-ready, the Mumbai franchise have since time immemorial dazzled under the leadership of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, and Harbhajan Singh with profitable returns.

Rise of ‘Hitman' Rohit

A quick flashback to 10 years ago. A 26-year-old Rohit, standing with a blank face, started his long walk back to the pavilion amid persistent boos, after being out for nought in the first essay during an Irani Cup match. Despite his lean patch, little could anyone imagine what the following months had in store for him. When the abilities of the two most revered cricketers Ponting and Tendulkar have been on the wane but with others around them performing, MI were, in their heart of hearts, willing to look the other way.

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It was the final nail in the coffin when Ponting's sub-par form with the willow forced him to step down from captaincy and, as a result, MI scrambled to find a worthy successor mid-season. Much like Pandya, Sharma's appointment as the skipper back then was written off by many, owing to lack of experience as well as inconsistency while representing India. But he stood firm and rose above all the criticism and judgement to guide Mumbai to its maiden IPL title the same year. The side went on to register four more titles under his watch in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020.

Pandya leads the way

Pandya's captaincy may have social media up in arms at the moment, but the manner in which he masterminded Gujarat Titans' title triumph in their debut season cannot be consigned to oblivion. In the last season too, the Titans punched above their weight to give a tough fight to MS Dhoni's CSK. However, given the gluttony of players in the team vying for the hot seat, Pandya will have a trial by fire this season.

As surprising as the announcement of Pandya's captaincy was, several reports suggested it was always around the corner. "I would like to refrain from commenting on this. How does it even matter?" replied the MI source when Mid-Day enquired about whether Pandya left Titans to join Mumbai under the condition that he be allowed to take over the reigns. "Enough about what should and should not have been. I think the franchise has made a collective decision as part of their future planning and we must respect it. That's all I had to say," he added.

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Sharma last featured in a T20I game for India at the World Cup last year. With an average of 19.33 to fall back on, he has amassed 116 runs from six matches of the World Cup in the shortest format of the game. He has evidently passed the baton to Pandya in T20Is, keeping his workload in mind and ensuring that he remains injury-free for the remainder of his career, given that age is starting to catch up on him. As it stands, it is impossible to be available for all three formats with the IPL each year. As India is scheduled to play as many as seven Test matches between December 2023 and March next year, Sharma's immediate focus will turn on red-ball cricket.

"It is not a new development. Rohit hasn't played any T20Is in the past one year as the focus was on the ODI World Cup. He had extensive discussions with chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar in this regard. He has himself volunteered to stay away from T20Is. It has completely been Rohit's call," a senior BCCI source was quoted as saying, according to a PTI report.

With Jasprit Bumrah recovering from a back injury, speedster Jofra Archer's investment not paying off, and Pandya being unfit in the 2021 season, it was not smooth sailing for Mumbai in the previous three seasons. Pandya taking the helm as the captain will set Sharma free of leadership shackles so he can focus on his game better.

As it stands out, the question isn't about what MI should do with Sharma, instead address what is best for the team in the long run. However, the heart still longs for Sharma to have one final crack as a team leader in IPL 2024.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the author's personal views, and do not necessarily represent the views of Mid-Day.