"He has the ability to hit six at any moment of the match" - Harbhajan Singh highlights importance of Rohit Sharma's form for Team India and MI

Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has hailed Rohit Sharma's selflessness and highlighted the importance of him being in form for Team India and the Mumbai Indians (MI).

While the 36-year-old has been in excellent form in international cricket, his IPL exploits have been concerning over the past few seasons. Rohit has failed to average even 30 since the 2016 season, with his form dipping further over the last two years.

The champion batter has averaged only 20 in 30 games in the previous two IPL seasons, with two half-centuries.

Speaking on Star Sports ahead of IPL 2024, Harbhajan emphasized the value of Rohit's form for his franchise and the national side.

"Rohit Sharma is selfless, puts the team ahead of personal ambitions. Team India needs Rohit Sharma, the captain and the batter , to lead the team from the front. Rohit Sharma, the batter, needs to come good for Mumbai Indians, he needs to score those runs for them. Rohit is not a player who will play attacking shots in the first six overs, he has the ability to hit six at any moment of the match," said Harbhajan.

Despite the dismal last few seasons, Rohit remains the fourth-leading run-scorer in IPL history with over 6,200 runs in 243 games.

He also returned to the Indian T20I side after 14 months in the recent home series against Afghanistan and smashed a breathtaking century ( 121* off 69) in the final game. Rohit will also captain Team India in the T20 World Cup in June.

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Rohit Sharma will not lead MI for the first time since 2013

Rohit has led MI to five IPL titles in his captaincy tenure.

The upcoming IPL season will see Rohit Sharma not lead the Mumbai Indians for the first time since 2013.

In a busy off-season, the franchise traded for Hardik Pandya with the Gujarat Titans (GT) and appointed him captain, replacing Rohit. Hardik led GT to the title in their maiden season in 2022, and the side finished runners-up last year.

The 36-year-old has led MI since midway through the 2013 season with resounding success. Under his captaincy, the franchise won all five titles, including going back-to-back in 2019 and 2020.

Rohit is behind only MS Dhoni for most wins as captain in IPL history, with 87 in 158 games.

MI will open their IPL 2024 campaign under the newly-appointed Hardik Pandya against the Gujarat Titans on March 24.