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Five-time champions Mumbai Indians' (MI) dream of a comeback season turned into a nightmare in the IPL 2024. Despite having one match remaining, they are officially out of playoff contention. Their sole focus now is to avoid finishing last in the points table. This underwhelming performance comes after a controversial decision to replace their long-time captain, Rohit Sharma, with Hardik Pandya at the season's start. The move to bring Pandya back from Gujarat Titans and hand him the captaincy has not only disappointed fans, but it seems to have caused a rift within the team. Reports suggest clear divisions in the dressing room, with some players favoring Sharma's leadership. This internal discord adds another layer of disappointment to MI's disastrous season.
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The situation in the Mumbai Indians' camp is turning increasingly sour. Reports suggest a widening rift between former captain Rohit Sharma and current captain Hardik Pandya. According to a Dainik Jagran report, a divide seems to be forming along national lines, with Indian players reportedly favoring Rohit's return to the captaincy, while the overseas contingent appears to back Hardik. This alleged split is particularly concerning considering MI's lack of star overseas players this season. Former South Africa batsman AB de Villiers previously commented on this very issue, suggesting Hardik's assertive leadership style might not mesh well with seasoned players like Rohit, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah. With tensions seemingly rising and the team's performance already in tatters, the question remains as to how will these internal conflicts impact the future of Mumbai Indians?
However, there are conflicting reports about Hardik's relationship with the overseas players. While some reports suggest a divide along national lines, others paint a different picture. For example, Tim David recently praised Hardik, calling him the ‘glue’ that holds the MI team together.
"Hardik was the glue that held us together and gave us a chance to play with freedom at the back end," the Australian had said. "Hardik has been phenomenal in the way he has been playing for the team," David had earlier said.
Cracks between Hardik-Rohit cracks cast shadow over MI's future
This alleged discord is further amplified by claims that Rohit and Hardik rarely practiced together during the IPL. The report from Dainik Jagran even goes so far as to suggest that Rohit, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma left the nets upon seeing Hardik arrive before the KKR match. Talking about the duo's performances in the IPL 2024. Hardik has endured a rough season with the bat, while Rohit's performance dipped significantly in the latter half of the tournament. While Hardik Pandya has scored 200 runs and has taken 11 wickets in 13 matches, Rohit has amassed 349 runs in 13 games
With the team's performance in tatters and a major leadership question mark looming, many experts predict significant changes for MI during the upcoming mega-auctions. Whether these changes involve a leadership shakeup or a more general overhaul remains to be seen, but one thing seems clear, if the reported rift between Hardik and Rohit doesn't heal, the future of Mumbai Indians could be headed for a major shakeup.
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