"Mumbai did the right thing" - Brad Hogg backs MI's decision to replace Rohit Sharma as captain
Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg opined that Mumbai Indians (MI) took the right call by replacing Rohit Sharma as their skipper with Hardik Pandya ahead of the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League. He also mentioned that Sharma should not part ways with the franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction over losing the team's captaincy.
Hogg suggested that Hardik being given the leadership position was a blessing in disguise for Sharma, who was already carrying a lot of burden on his shoulders due to Team India's captaincy. Speaking in a video shared on his YouTube channel, the cricketer-turned-expert said (from 15:18):
"Yes he (Rohit Sharma) should (stay with MI) . I think Hardik Pandya coming in to captain the team is a good thing because Rohit is under pressure captaining all teams for India over the last couple of years. He needed a little bit of space and I think Mumbai did the right thing by getting Hardik Pandya into the lineup."
It is worth mentioning that Hardik Pandya was with MI for his first seven years in the IPL. He moved to Gujarat Titans (GT) where he captained them to a title win in 2022 and a runners-up finish in 2023.
The talismanic all-rounder was traded to MI in an all-cash deal prior to IPL 2024. However, under his captaincy, the five-time champions endured a dismal campaign, finishing with the wooden spoon.
"It was quite rude" - Brad Hogg on Hardik Pandya receiving a hostile reception from MI fans
Many MI fans were unhappy with Rohit Sharma's unceremonious removal as the captain. As a result, Hardik Pandya, the new skipper, faced the wrath of the team's supporters during IPL 2024.
Hardik was even booed at the Wankhede Stadium, MI's home venue. Brad Hogg pointed out that the player didn't deserve to be treated this way and hoped that he would get a better welcome from the fans next year.
Hogg said in the aforementioned video (from 15:38):
"Hardik Pandya doing well for India now hopefully next year that he's going to be in his second year in a row with Mumbai Indians, the crowd just get a little bit calmer and get behind him because it was quite rude what happened last year. Yes, you've got your fans, you follow your particular players, but there are times when changes have to be made and Mumbai needed to make that change both for themselves and also for Rohit Sharma's mental state."
According to the new IPL retention rules, the franchises are allowed to retain a maximum of six players from their existing squad. The retentions can be direct retentions or with the Right to Match (RTM) option.