Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Suryakumar Yadav, the senior players of the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise are reportedly unhappy with Hardik Pandya’s captaincy. Also, the report stated that they had a sit down with the MI team management and franchise representatives and complained to them.
This news comes after the five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians were officially eliminated from the IPL 2024 playoffs race after Lucknow Super Giants were soundly defeated by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 10 wickets. Now MI has 8 points from 12 matches and cannot go beyond the 12-point mark, making them ineligible for the top four qualification.
MI’s decision to remove Rohit Sharma, the current India captain who has led the franchise to five IPL titles, has not gone down well with fans, who have routinely booed Hardik on match days since the season began.
After a decade of leading the Mumbai Indians under Rohit Sharma, the introduction of a new captain into an already-established hierarchy is bound to produce friction in the dressing room.
Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah air their grievances with MI management
As per Indian Express, key senior players of the Mumbai Indians have informed team management that there is a lack of spark in the dressing room, which is due to Hardik’s leadership style.
According to an MI official, this was not a leadership crisis, but rather a symptom that a team that had become accustomed to Rohit’s captaincy over the previous decade was still adjusting to the change of guard.
“These are regular teething problems for a team that sees leadership change. This happens in sports all the time,” he said.
According to the report, the players and coaching staff met after a game, and among the players were MI veterans Rohit, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah. Over a meal, the players discussed their concerns and identified the causes of the team’s poor performance.
One of the reasons for this discontent in the dressing room was Hardik Pandya blaming Tilak Varma for lack of intent in a match between MI and Delhi Capitals.
“When Axar Patel (DC bowler) was bowling to a left-hander (Tilak), the better option could have been to go after him, I think it was just a little game awareness that we missed out on. At the end of the day, that cost us the game,” Hardik had told Star Sports.
According to insiders, blaming one player for the team’s loss was not well received in the locker room. MI executives stated that, like every year, the franchise will evaluate the season and, if necessary, make a decision on the team’s future.
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