Suresh Raina, a former Indian cricketer renowned for his middle-order batting prowess, has expressed his disapproval of Mumbai Indians’ decision to remove Rohit Sharma as captain and appoint Hardik Pandya in his place. Raina believes that Rohit should have retained the captaincy, citing his experience and leadership qualities.
“I don’t know why he was removed as captain,” Raina said. “But, MI are doing well now, they won the last match.” However, upon being corrected by the interviewer, Raina acknowledged that Mumbai Indians have not been performing well in the ongoing IPL season.
Raina speculates that the management’s decision to appoint a younger captain may have influenced the change. “Rohit, I think is now 36 or 37,” he said. “The management is looking to have a leader who is younger.”
Raina also suggests that the decision to name Hardik Pandya as captain could be reversed if Mumbai Indians continue to struggle. “If MI fail in 3-4 more matches, Rohit could be re-appointed as captain,” he said.
Raina expressed concern over the negative reactions from fans towards Hardik Pandya, who has been booed and jeered during matches. “This is not right,” Raina said. “Saying such things about him, his family isn’t correct. But, you can’t do much, everyone has the right to say things. You have to learn to avoid it.”
Despite his criticism of the captaincy change, Raina acknowledged that Mumbai Indians have shown signs of improvement in their recent match. “They won the last match,” he said. “So, let’s see how they perform in the upcoming matches.”
