In arguably one of the biggest news ahead of the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), it was confirmed that star all-rounder Hardik Pandya will take over Mumbai Indians' captaincy from Rohit Sharma.
With the captaincy change announced, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra came forward to heap massive praise on former skipper Rohit and his tenure as the captain of the five-time champions. Chopra branded Rohit’s 10-year tenure as skipper as the "end of an era" and termed him as "one of the finest captains in IPL history".
Notably, Rohit won the IPL as the skipper for the first time in 2013 and then went on to win four more titles in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. Rohit’s leadership has been influential in helping MI become the joint-most successful side in IPL history, tied with MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings.
“Rohit Sharma was one of the finest captains—10 years, five trophies. A very successful captain. He understands the pulse of the game and managed the team really well. He always kept team ahead of self. Whether it was opening for the side or batting down the order, he did everything for Mumbai Indians that was asked of him,” Aakash Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Whoever has played under Rohit has said that he is a very good captain: Aakash Chopra
Furthermore, Chopra also stated that every player who has played under Rohit has lauded his impact as a captain. He also branded the veteran batter as one of the modern-era’s greats.
“The biggest parameter [to judge a captain is], the players who have played under you, do they want to keep playing more under you. That defines you as a captain and a player. Whoever has played under Rohit has said that he is a very good captain; I want to play under him. He gives me my space. It’s an end of an era. He is one of the modern greats,” Chopra said.
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