10 years, 5 IPL titles later Rohit Sharma ends his reign as the most successful captain in Indian Premier League. With Mumbai Indians opting to appoint Hardik Pandya as the new captain, it has marked an end of an era. As fans continue to express displeasure over the decision, Irfan Pathan has backed Rohit Sharma. He has termed Rohit’s contribution to Mumbai Indians equivalent to MS Dhoni at Chennai Super Kings.
“Rohit Sharma has a huge stature in the team. For me, Rohit Sharma’s stature in Mumbai Indians is similar to that of Dhoni’s stature in CSK,” Irfan Pathan said on Star Sports.
After a move to Mumbai Indians from Deccan Chargers in 2011, Rohit Sharma took over captaincy in 2013 from Ricky Ponting. And he was an instant hit. He delivered MI their first IPL trophy the same year. And he went on to win four more titles, establishing Mumbai Indians as the most successful franchise.
“Rohit Sharma has build the team with blood and sweat as captain. He has contributed a lot, always involved in the team meeting. He is an amazing captain, a bowlers’ captain. Last year, despite Jofra Archer’s form and Jasprit Bumrah not being there, Rohit still had a great IPL season as a captain,” Irfan Pathan said.
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No Rohit Sharma, no party?
The former Indian left-arm pacer also added that it will be a challenging task for Hardik Pandya. Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah both have had captaincy experience at the international level. And their camaraderie with Rohit Sharma could make it difficult.
Irfan Pathan added that success of MI will be on the management for the team and Hardik Pandya.
“Now, with SKY, Bumrah and Rohit being there, who have performed leadership roles at International level, it will be a challenge for Hardik. The result lies in management for MI and Hardik. It won’t be easy for Hardik,” Irfan Pathan said.
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