"Having the captaincy or not won't make a difference" - Irfan Pathan expects Rohit Sharma to bat as freely in IPL 2024 as he did in 2023 World Cup

Irfan Pathan expects Rohit Sharma to have the same belligerent approach in IPL 2024 that he adopted in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

The Mumbai Indians (MI) traded in Hardik Pandya from the Gujarat Titans (GT) ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. They subsequently named the Baroda all-rounder as their skipper for the upcoming edition of the prestigious league, replacing Rohit, who led them to all five of their IPL titles.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Pathan was asked whether Rohit will play more freely in IPL 2024 as he is no longer the captain, to which he responded:

"Did he not have the captaincy restrictions in the 50-over World Cup? They were there and he played with an amazing strike rate. I think having the captaincy or not won't make a difference. The approach he has changed for the last little while will make the difference. I feel he will continue that template."

The former India all-rounder pointed out that Rohit's altered approach has started yielding him dividends lately. He explained:

"It took him close to one to one-and-a-half years to get that template. Earlier, Rohit Sharma used to take his time for the first two or three overs and then used to run fast. In the last two years, he took the responsibility and said that he would run fast from the first over and he has started getting the results of that now."

Rohit smashed 597 runs at an outstanding strike rate of 125.94 in 11 games in the 2023 World Cup. Despite his aggressive approach, he finished as the tournament's second-highest run-scorer, behind only Virat Kohli, who amassed 765 runs in as many games at a strike rate of 90.31.

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"Rohit Sharma is not a character who wants captaincy" - Irfan Pathan

Rohit Sharma led India to a series-leveling maiden Test win in Cape Town. [P/C: Getty]

Irfan Pathan claimed Rohit Sharma does not run after captaincy. He said:

"Rohit Sharma is not a character who wants captaincy. These things do not matter too much to him. He lost the first Test match here (in South Africa) as captain. A day later, two youngsters didn't go for practice, but Rohit Sharma went."

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the former Mumbai Indians skipper's only intention is to deliver the goods for however long he plays. He elaborated:

"He is extremely focused. He is saying that for as many years he will play cricket, whether it's for India or the Mumbai Indians, he wants to finish by playing good cricket at the top level. It could be two or three years. His fans will want him to play forever, but that's not the reality."

Rohit has endured a lean run with the bat in the last two seasons of the IPL, averaging 19.14 and 20.75 in 2022 and 2023 respectively. He will want to give a better account of himself in IPL 2024, especially if he harbors hopes of representing India in the T20 World Cup later this year.