Amidst the recent buzz surrounding the Mumbai Indians’ captaincy baton being handed over to former Gujarat Titans skipper, Hardik Pandya, upon his return to the franchise, speculations have arisen regarding Rohit Sharma’s potential switch to other teams. Among the top contenders in the rumour mill is the Chennai Super Kings, especially considering the ongoing IPL season and the possibility of stalwart MS Dhoni’s retirement.
Fueling these speculations, former English cricketer Michael Vaughan weighed in on the matter during an episode of the BeerBiceps podcast. Vaughan hinted that Ruturaj Gaikwad’s leadership role could merely be a temporary fix, paving the way for Rohit to potentially assume captaincy from the next season onwards.
“Will he (Rohit Sharma) go to Chennai? Replace Dhoni? Gaikwad is doing it (the captaincy) this year, and it might be just (an act of) holding position for Rohit next year. I see him in Chennai,” Michael Vaughan remarked on the podcast.
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Responding to Vaughan’s observation, podcast host Ranveer Allahbadia expressed mixed feelings about the possibility. While acknowledging the sentimental value of Rohit returning to the Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he previously played for the now-defunct Deccan Chargers, Ranveer also admitted that it would be disheartening for Mumbai Indians fans to see Rohit depart.
“That’d be heartbreaking, honestly. For MI fans, that’d be terrible. I wouldn’t mind him going to (Sunrisers) Hyderabad; he played for Deccan Chargers, so that would be romantic,” Ranveer expressed.
In addition to discussing potential team changes, Vaughan highlighted the importance of effective communication within the management. He believed that Rohit should have continued leading the side even after Hardik’s arrival, emphasizing that being offered the captaincy of Mumbai Indians is an opportunity that few would decline.
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“He has been asked to captain Mumbai Indians; who is going to say no to that? He has been given a job that every single Indian cricketer would like to do. I just believe the communication wasn’t right. I personally would’ve captained Rohit. The sensible move would’ve been for Rohit to carry on as MI captain with Hardik in mind for next year or 2,” Michael Vaughan expressed his thoughts on the matter.
