"The passion that used to be seen in him wasn't evident in the last 2 years" - Gavaskar on MI replacing Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as captain

Sunil Gavaskar reckons the Mumbai Indians (MI) might have appointed Hardik Pandya as their skipper for IPL 2024 because of the lack of passion seen in Rohit Sharma's captaincy in the last two seasons.

MI traded in Pandya from the Gujarat Titans ahead of the auction to be held in Dubai on Tuesday. They have also named him as their captain for the upcoming edition of the prestigious league.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Gavaskar was asked about his thoughts on the Mumbai Indians' decision to change their captain, to which he responded:

"We shouldn't go into right or wrong but they have taken the decision for their team's benefit. You can say that Rohit's contribution with the bat was also slightly less in the last two years. He used to contribute a lot earlier."

The former India captain added:

"Two years ago they finished at the 10th spot. Yes, they qualified for the playoffs last year but the passion that used to be seen in him wasn't evident in the last two years. Probably he was slightly tired because of playing cricket consistently and captaining as well."

Rohit endured an underwhelming run in IPL 2023, aggregating 332 runs in 16 innings at a below-par average of 20.75. He had an even leaner run in IPL 2022, managing 268 runs in 14 innings at an average of 19.14.

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"He is a young captain who has given results as well" - Sunil Gavaskar on Hardik Pandya's appointment as MI skipper

Hardik Pandya showcased his leadership skills for the Gujarat Titans. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Sunil Gavaskar pointed out that Hardik Pandya has already proven himself as a captain. He said:

"I feel the decision that has been taken, he is a young captain who has given results as well. He took the Gujarat Titans to the final twice and Hardik Pandya also won the title once."

The cricketer-turned-commentator concluded by opining that the captaincy change will hold the Mumbai Indians in good stead. He elaborated:

"So he has been made the captain with that thinking. You need fresh thinking at times and he can bring that. I feel the Mumbai Indians will not be at a loss and will definitely gain from this decision."

When available, Pandya has been India's T20I skipper since the conclusion of last year's T20 World Cup, with most of the senior players not considered for the shortest format. It needs to be seen whether the Baroda all-rounder continues to lead the Men in Blue or is replaced by Rohit at the helm for next year's T20 World Cup.