"It's going to be a smooth transition" - Former Indian cricketer believes Hardik Pandya will lead Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024 and not Rohit Sharma

Ever since reports of Hardik Pandya making a sensational return to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans have been making the rounds, there has been a lot of speculation about whether legendary captain Rohit Sharma will bid adieu from the franchise.

However, former Indian cricketer and ex-chief selector K Srikkanth rubbished these reports. He reckons MI will have Hardik as their new captain, but there won't be any bad blood between him and Rohit, as it would be a part of future transition.

Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel about Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma:

"No no (not the end for Rohit). It's about a smooth transition. It happened between Sachin and Rohit. Now it's time for Rohit to Hardik. It's going to be a smooth transition.

"At the end of the day, Rohit and Hardik share a wonderful relationship. Obviously, they will make Hardik Pandya the captain. Rohit Sharma will be a key figure and ensure a smooth transition. You need a smooth transition to avoid hiccups in the team."

Srikkanth gave the example of the transition that happened between MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli with Team India's captaincy:

"Look at what Dhoni did with India. There was a smooth transition between him and Kohli. It was a fantastic transition. Yes, Dhoni also played under Kohli.

"It will be like Guru-Shishya. Yes, Hardik will be leading the team, Rohit will be there. It will be a smooth transition like Dhoni and Kohli in the Indian team."

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Hardik Pandya is a fabulous addition to Mumbai Indians: K Srikkanth

Srikkanth reckons MI have pulled off a massive coup if the news about Hardik Pandya's trade is true.

He feels GT just looked at it from a business point of view by receiving a reportedly undisclosed transfer fee:

"Yes, it's a huge surprise. But then, it's a fantastic addition for Mumbai Indians. MI only made Mumbai Indians. I can't forget Hardik hitting those sixes against Chennai Super Kings in 2015. Yes, MI needed an all-rounder. When it comes to trading, you might have a lot of questions.

"You might ask 'why Gujarat Titans are realising their captain?'. Maybe they are looking at it as a business. Yes, it's a huge surprise because he was their captain when they won the title and reached the final."

The deadline is 4 pm IST on Sunday, November 26, for IPL franchises to submit their list of retained players ahead of the auction in Dubai on December 19.