• Sportzyverse
• Cricket news, IPL 2024
• 03/27/2024
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Former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu shared his views on Rohit Sharma playing under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy in the IPL 2024 season. The decision to appoint Hardik as Mumbai Indians’ captain has sparked discussions among fans and experts.

Rohit Sharma Under Hardik Pandya’s Captaincy

“I have played in an Indian team where five captains used to pay together. Kapil Dev, Dilip Vengsarkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, and Ravi Shastri. Pick up a brick, and you will find a captain above and below it. There were no issues because they were playing for their nation. The motivation was to play for your country. So, playing under Hardik does not make Rohit smaller,” Sidhu commented during an analysis on Star Sports.

Sidhu emphasised that playing under different captains in a franchise team should not diminish the stature of great players like Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni. He drew parallels with his own experience in the Indian team, highlighting the coexistence of multiple captains without issues.

“Dhoni has passed the baton already, and that could have happened in Mumbai Indians as well. But this is a franchise, and they look at the performances. They gave it three years, and when it did not work, they got a new person for the job. You need to accept it. But Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni are great players. A dwarf is a dwarf even if he is standing at the top of a mountain, and a God is a God even if they are standing at the bottom of a well,” Sidhu added.

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Mumbai Indians’ Strategy and Kieron Pollard’s Perspective

Mumbai Indians’ batting coach, Kieron Pollard, defended the team’s tactical decisions in their IPL opener against Gujarat Titans. Despite suffering a six-run defeat, Pollard backed Hardik Pandya’s decision to open the bowling and addressed the skipper batting at number seven.

“Mumbai Indians won the toss and opted to bowl first, with Hardik opening the bowling against his former side. You must plan and decide what you want to do as a team. Hardik has also bowled with the new ball for Gujarat over the last couple of years. He swung the new ball and bowled it well, which was nothing new to us,” Pollard explained during the post-match press conference.

Pollard emphasised the team’s strategy of utilising the new ball’s swing by deploying Hardik early in the bowling attack. Despite the defeat, Pollard expressed confidence in the team’s approach and emphasised the need to move forward from the setback.