After trading-in Hardik Pandya from Gujarat Titans ahead of the ongonig season, the MI management decided to hand over the team’s capataincy to the all-rounder, taking it away from their five-time IPL-winning skipper Rohit Sharma.
Also See: IPL 2024 Full ScheduleIt led to a lot of backlash from the MI fans, while several experts expressed their opinion on the matter, the latest of which has come from player-turned-politician Sidhu.
“I have played in an Indian team where five captains used to play together. Kapil Dev, Dilip Vengsarkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Ravi Shastri. Pick up a brick and you will find a captain both above and below it. There were no issues because they were playing for their nation. The motivation was to play for your country. So playing under Hardik does not make Rohit smaller,” said Sidhu on a Star Sports show.
Interestingly, two of the most successful IPL teams — with five titles each — have passed the captaincy baton this season.
MS Dhoni relinquished Chennai Super Kings captaincy and handed over the leadership reins to Ruturaj Gaikwad, while Hardik is now at the helm instead of Rohit at MI.
“Dhoni has passed the baton already and that could have happened in Mumbai Indians as well….They (MI) gave it three years (after 2020) and when it did not work (in producing another title), they got a new person for the job. You need to accept it,” said Sidhu.
“But Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni are great players. A dwarf is a dwarf even if he is standing at the top of a mountain and a God is a God even if they are standing at the bottom of a well.”
CSK have won both their matches so far in IPL 2024, while MI suffered a defeat against Gujarat Titans in their campaign opener.