Mumbai Indians (MI) have had a disastrous IPL 2024 season, struggling at the bottom of the points table. Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag believes that the team could release both Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya ahead of the IPL 2025 season.
Sehwag feels that a change in leadership is necessary for MI, which has failed to live up to expectations in recent seasons. He suggests that Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah could be the two players retained by MI, as they are the only two who have performed consistently this season.
Hardik, who was appointed as MI’s new captain this season, has failed to impress, scoring just 200 runs and picking up 11 wickets. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, started the IPL well but has tapered off in recent matches. His form has come under severe scrutiny, and he has become a headache for Team India ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Sehwag believes that MI needs to find a new formula for success, and he feels that releasing Rohit and Hardik could be the first step in that direction. He said, “Tell me something. Having Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan in one film won’t guarantee a hit. Will it? You will have to perform, right? You need a good script. Similarly, all these big names will have to come together and perform on the ground. Rohit Sharma scored one century and MI lost. Where are the rest of the performances?”
Former India batter Manoj Tiwary agrees with Sehwag’s assessment. He believes that MI should look at either Bumrah or SKY as their next captain. He said, “I am also looking at Bumrah and SKY as the two players who will be retained by Mumbai Indians. No one beyond them, and no foreign players either. Tim David has not lived up to the hype. My advice to the management would be to retain just two players – Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah – and make one of the two captains. I am not keeping Rohit either because, looking at him, it appears he doesn’t want to be retained.”
It remains to be seen whether MI will take Sehwag’s advice and release Rohit and Hardik. However, it is clear that the team needs to make some changes if they want to return to their former glory.
