Rohit's contribution with bat has gone down at MI: Gavaskar

NEW DELHI: Legendary India cricketer

Sunil Gavaskar

believes that

Hardik Pandya

, as the new captain, will inject "fresh thinking" into the Mumbai Indians camp.
Gavaskar suggests that

Rohit Sharma

, who has seemed fatigued and hasn't made significant contributions with the bat in recent years, might benefit from stepping back from the leadership role.

In preparation for the 2024 IPL auction in Dubai, Hardik, the Indian T20I skipper, was traded to the Mumbai Indians.

Both Rohit and Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni boast impressive records as the most successful captains in the IPL, each guiding their teams to five titles in the lucrative league.
Despite their success, the Mumbai Indians have not secured a title since 2021 and even finished last in the 2022 edition.

Gavaskar speculates that Rohit's potential fatigue could be attributed to his continuous role not only as the captain of the IPL team but also as the captain of the Indian national team.
"See, we don't have to look at it (decision to appoint Hardik as MI captain) as right or wrong. The decision they (MI) have taken has been for the benefit of the team. We can say that the contribution of Rohit, even with the bat, has become slightly lesser," Gavaskar told Star Sports.

"Earlier, there used to be a lot of contributions (with bat) from Rohit, but in the last few years, they have finished at number 9 or 10. And last year they qualified for the playoffs, but the 'josh' (enthusiasm) of Mumbai Indians was not there to be seen as we have seen in the past.
"Maybe because he has played cricket continuously he must have been fatigued, constantly captaining the Indian side and then Mumbai Indians," added Gavaskar.
Hardik, after leading Gujarat Titans to title triumph in the team's inaugural year in 2022 also led his side to runners-up finish this year.
The cricketer-turned-commentator felt Hardik has proved himself for the Gujarat franchise and his return to Mumbai Indians will infuse fresh ideas into the side.
"So, the decision that they have taken, he is a young player, young in terms of captaining a side, who has proven himself, taking Gujarat Titans to the finals twice and winning it once.
"So with the same thought process, they have made him captain. Because sometimes you need that fresh thinking, and he can bring that fresh thinking and I think the decision that has been taken, Mumbai Indians can benefit from it and won't damage them," he added.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan said the biggest challenge for Hardik at Mumbai Indians would be to manage senior players like Rohit, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah, all of whom are leaders themselves.
"Now that this decision about Hardik Pandya has been taken, I think Suryakumar Yadav was involved in this discussion, Bumrah was in it as well, so for Hardik Pandya, the biggest challenge will be with all these people -- Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, who are leaders themselves, they have been captains of the Indian team in the past.
"Hardik will have to learn to manage these guys and it will be his biggest challenge. And this won't be easy for him," said Pathan.
He compared Rohit's stature with that of Dhoni, saying the stalwart had built the Mumbai franchise with his hard work and commitment.
"The stature that Rohit Sharma has in Mumbai Indians, I think it can be compared to the stature that Dhoni has in CSK. He has made this team with his own hard work and dedication through his captaincy.
"He's a great captain who has carried this team for years and last year, with the team they had, many people thought they could qualify for the playoffs. They qualified, even though they didn't have (pacer) Jofra Archer and their bowling was light.
"Even their form wasn't good. They didn't have the facilities of Bumrah (who was recovering from injury," said Pathan.
(With PTI Inputs)