Manoj Tiwary:  “Mumbai’s Captaincy Could Be Handed Back To…”

Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has suggested that Mumbai Indians (MI) could consider handing back the captaincy to Rohit Sharma after their disappointing start in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The five-time IPL champions have faced three consecutive losses under the leadership of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who took over the captaincy from Rohit after his historic trade move from Gujarat Lions.

Pandya, known for his explosive batting and handy bowling, was traded from Gujarat Lions after leading them to the IPL title in 2022 and guiding them to the final in 2023. However, Mumbai Indians, under his captaincy, are yet to secure a win in the ongoing season, suffering defeats against Gujarat Lions and Hyderabad, losing by 6 runs and 31 runs respectively.

In a conversation with Cricbuzz following Mumbai’s loss to Rajasthan Royals, Tiwary expressed his views on the possibility of Rohit Sharma reclaiming the captaincy. Rajasthan had restricted Mumbai to 125 for 9 in the first innings, comfortably chasing down the target with 6 wickets and 27 balls remaining.

 “Mumbai’s captaincy could be handed back to Rohit Sharma. What I understand is that the owners of Mumbai Indians don’t hesitate in making decisions. They made the call of taking the captaincy from Rohit and giving it to Hardik Pandya despite Rohit winning five IPL titles for them,” Tiwary remarked.

He further elaborated on the current state of Mumbai Indians’ captaincy, emphasizing that the team has not gained any points this season and the leadership under Pandya has been inconsistent.

 “Changing the captain is a very big call. They have not picked up a single point this season. And the captaincy is also all over the place, it’s not just bad luck and the captaincy has been very good, that’s not the case. The captaincy has not been great,” Tiwary added.

Pandya has faced a tough start to his stint as MI’s captain, enduring defeats in the initial matches of IPL 2024. His captaincy has also been marred by constant booing from the crowds, including instances in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and even at Mumbai’s home ground, the Wankhede Stadium.

 During MI’s match against Rajasthan Royals, Rohit Sharma had to intervene and urge the home crowd to refrain from booing Pandya. The Mumbai-based franchise will be aiming to bounce back and secure their first victory of the season when they face Delhi Capitals on Sunday, April 7th.