Recently, Mumbai Indians (MI) appointed Hardik Pandya as their captain for the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) replacing Rohit Sharma. The development stirred discussions among the fans and experts across the globe.
Team India’s legendary all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has provided interesting insight into the unusual move by MI.
Yuvi (as Yuvraj is popularly known) acknowledged the challenges faced by seasoned players in franchise cricket, emphasizing the constant search for young talent.
“In franchise cricket, it always gets tough as you get old. Every franchise is always looking to promote a young player on whom they have spent a lot, and that is only fair,” said Yuvraj during an interaction.
“Rohit has a fantastic record and he is vastly experienced. However, it’s necessary for franchises to think long-term. The emergence of young talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, and Shivam Dube has added a new dynamic to the T20 landscape, creating a competitive environment for established players,” said the former southpaw.
“Skills of experienced players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continue to be invaluable assets for any team. The move to appoint Hardik Pandya as captain could be seen as part of MI’s strategy to infuse new energy and dynamics into the team for the upcoming season, aiming to reclaim their IPL dominance,” he added.