April 8, 2025: It seems there’s a lot of debate going on between former Indian cricketers Sanjay Bangar and Ambati Rayudu over Mumbai Indians’ (MI) decision to use Rohit Sharma as an impact player rather than having him on the field. The disagreement revolves around leadership dynamics, particularly about the presence of Rohit as a potential source of input for Hardik Pandya, MI’s current captain.
Bangar believes that Rohit’s leadership experience could be valuable, both as a captain and as someone who could guide Hardik from the field. He feels that MI is missing out on the benefits of Rohit’s tactical contributions, especially given his IPL title-winning experience. He points out that a leader like Hardik might gain from Rohit’s insights, even if they’re informal inputs during the game.
On the other hand, Rayudu disagrees, arguing that a captain should not have multiple voices in his ear during the match. He emphasizes that Hardik has the autonomy to make decisions for his team, and it’s important for him to lead without being influenced by too many people, including former captains like Rohit. Rayudu points out that while Rohit is an excellent leader, the captaincy now belongs to Hardik, and any input should come through a substitute fielder or from management, not directly on the field.
The conversation touches on the broader debate of leadership style and team dynamics in cricket, where having a clear chain of command is often seen as crucial to a team’s success.