Former India opener Wasim Jaffer expressed his surprise at Mumbai Indians’ decision to appoint Hardik Pandya as the skipper for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, ending Rohit Sharma‘s ten-year captaincy.
Jaffer found it unexpected how quickly Mumbai Indians moved on from Rohit after Hardik’s return to the franchise. He raised questions about whether Rohit was informed in advance about this decision.
“I didn’t expect Mumbai Indians to switch from Rohit Sharma so soon. The change happened rather quickly and even surprised me. When the trade took place, it likely signalled to Hardik that he would be the new captain. However, I’m unsure if Rohit was informed about this decision,” he said on ESPN Cricinfo.
“A couple of guys were in contention, including Suryakumar Yadav, currently leading the Indian team, and Jasprit Bumrah, who captained India in Tests. I hope the communication about the captaincy was clear. While the change was expected, I’m a bit surprised that it happened immediately this season,” he added.
Hardik Pandya, who led the Gujarat Titans in the past two seasons and secured the title in 2022, made a sensational trade move back to Mumbai Indians for the upcoming season.
Jaffer raised questions about the dynamics between Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya following Mumbai Indians’ decision. He pondered on how their relationship would evolve, especially if Hardik plays under Rohit’s leadership in the T20 World Cup 2024.
“It will be intriguing to observe whether Rohit Sharma will captain in the T20 World Cup. Considering he is the captain and Hardik will be playing under him, the dynamics will be interesting to see. How will that unfold?”, he said.