With Rohit Sharma stay at Mumbai Indians next IPL season? That is one big question that is on everyone’s mind. Mumbai Indians are already out of the IPL 2024 play-off race there is little to look forward to this season. Ahead of the next season, there is the mega auction where teams will see massive change. Pakistan pace legend Wasim Akram, who was earlier associated with Kolkata Knight Riders, in coaching capacity feels that Rohit will not play for MI next year.
Since the time Rohit Sharma was removed from MI captaincy, he and Hardik Pandya have been in the news.
“I have a feeling, he won’t be at Mumbai Indians next season. I would love to see him at KKR. Imagine him open there, Gauti as a mentor, Iyer as a captain. They will have a very strong batting, at that wicket (Eden Gardens). He bats very well on any wicket, he is that great a player. But it will be good to see him at KKR,” Wasim Akram told Sportskeeda.
Akram also praised KKR’s good show in the IPL 2024. The team currently leads the points table.
“This was Gautam Gambhir‘s KKR and will remain his KKR. He sits off the field and talks to the players. But once the game is on, it is under the captain. Their captain has also done well and also scored runs at different positions. He (Iyer) knows that Gautam is there to take care of things.”
Rohit Sharma is a sensible captain who takes good decisions under pressure and his presence will be crucial for India, feels former all-rounder Yuvraj Singh who wishes to see his “close friend” win the elusive T20 World Cup next month. Besides reaching the final of the 50-over World Cup and the WTC Final last year, India made the semifinals of the 2022 T20 World Cup under Rohit’s captaincy. The opener is set to lead the ‘Men in Blue’ once again at the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and USA, starting on June 2.
“(Rohit’s presence is going to be) very crucial. I think we need a really good captain, a sensible captain who takes decisions well under pressure. And he’s the one to take them,” Yuvraj, who is the T20 World Cup 2024 ambassador, told ICC.
The World Cup 2023 final loss to Australia saw India’s quest for an ICC title stretch to 10 years with their last victory dating back to the Champions Trophy in 2013 under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Yuvraj feels India needs someone with Rohit’s expertise to lead the Indian team at the marquee event.
“He was the captain when we lost in the (Cricket World Cup) 50-over final (in 2023). He has won five IPL trophies as a captain. I think we need somebody like him to captain India.”
With PTI inputs
