Irfan Pathan, former Indian cricketer, paid tribute to Rohit Sharma’s illustrious tenure at the Mumbai Indians, highlighting his pivotal role in building the team’s legacy. The franchise recently announced a significant change, appointing Hardik Pandya as the captain for the IPL 2024 season, succeeding Rohit Sharma, who led the team to five IPL titles since 2013. Traded for INR 15 crore from Gujarat Titans, Rohit’s departure marked the end of an era for the Mumbai Indians.

Pathan drew parallels between Rohit Sharma’s influence at Mumbai Indians and MS Dhoni’s role at Chennai Super Kings, emphasizing the tremendous effort Rohit invested in team-building and his exceptional leadership.

“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. Rohit Sharma has built 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,” commented Irfan Pathan in an interview with Star Sports.

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Despite the challenges faced last season, including Jofra Archer’s absence and Jasprit Bumrah’s form, Rohit led Mumbai Indians to a successful IPL campaign, showcasing his leadership prowess. Irfan Pathan also expressed support for Hardik Pandya as the new captain but acknowledged the significant challenge of leading a team comprising stalwarts like Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and the former skipper Rohit Sharma.

“With SKY, Bumrah, and Rohit being there, who have performed leadership roles at the 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,” noted Irfan Pathan.

Hardik Pandya, who spent six years with Mumbai Indians, was released before the IPL 2022 mega auction. He subsequently captained Gujarat Titans to victory in the 2022 season and led them to runners-up in the 2023 IPL season.

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While the announcement of Hardik Pandya as the new captain sparked mixed reactions from fans, Mahela Jayawardene, MI’s former coach and Global Head of Performance, emphasized that the change in leadership aligns with the franchise’s philosophy of staying “future-ready.”

“It is part of legacy building and staying true to the MI philosophy of being future-ready. Mumbai Indians have always been blessed with exceptional leadership, right from Sachin to Harbhajan and Ricky to Rohit, who, while contributing to immediate success, have always had an eye on strengthening the team for the future,” said Mahela Jayawardene.