'It was tough…': Mahela Jayawardene on replacing Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as MI captain – Business Today

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Mumbai Indians’ Global Head of Cricket, Mahela Jayawardene, said on Tuesday that replacing Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as the team’s captain was a “tough decision” but had to be taken at some point.
Hardik Pandya was named the new captain of Mumbai Indians (MI) on December 15. Pandya will replace Rohit, who has five IPL titles to his name.
Jayawardene’s remarks came after the development stirred a strong emotional response from Rohit Sharma’s fanbase, with many of them expressing their disappointment and anger on social media.
Speaking to Jio Cinema, Jayawardene said, “It was a tough decision. It was emotional, to be honest. It’s fair on the fans as well (to react). I think everyone is emotional and we have to respect that as well. But at the same time, as a franchise, you have to make those decisions.”
The former Sri Lanka captain further added, that having Rohit Sharma in the team, on and off the field to guide the next generation is very important for them. “He has been absolutely brilliant. I have worked very closely with him. He is a fabulous individual and I am sure he will be part of the legacy who will guide that through.”  
Jayawardene also cited the example of Sachin Tendulkar when talking about the captaincy transition and said the cricket legend gave away his captaincy to play as a senior batter and mentor the youngsters.
“Sachin played with the youngsters. He gave the leadership to someone else and made sure Mumbai Indians was going in the right direction. It’s the same thing. We had this conversation and everyone is buying into that. It’s for us to look forward to the next season,” he added.
Hardik Pandya — who was previously the captain for Gujarat Titans (GT) which emerged as the winner in IPL 2022 — was traded to MI from GT ahead of the retention deadline in November.
Sharma, on the other hand, had been at the helm of MI since 2013. However, he will not be leading the franchise from IPL 2024.
Rohit Sharma was on a break from cricket after India lost in World Cup 2023 Final against Australia. He is set to return in the two-match series against South Africa, which starts on December 26.
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