The relationship dynamics between Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma have reportedly been strained since Pandya’s transition from the Gujarat Titans to the Mumbai Indians (MI). This move also marked the end of Sharma’s decade-long captaincy reign, with Pandya now assuming the leadership role for the five-time champions, a position he earned after leading the Titans to two IPL finals.
MI coach Mark Boucher recently shed light on the captaincy change, attributing it to strategic decisions by the management. However, his explanation faced backlash, notably from Ritika Sajdeh, Sharma’s wife, who criticized the remarks, citing multiple issues with Boucher’s rationale. Subsequently, reports emerged indicating that Pandya and Sharma unfollowed each other on Instagram, further fueling speculation about their relationship.
Mark Boucher said: “I think it was purely a cricketing decision. We saw the window period to get Hardik back as a player. For me, it’s a transition phase. A lot of people don’t understand in India, people get quite emotional, but you know you take the emotions away from it. I think it’s just more of a cricketing decision that was made and I do think it is going to bring the best out of Rohit as a person as a player. Just let him go out and enjoy and score some good runs.”
“One thing I did pick up with Ro (Rohit) is that he is a fantastic guy. I mean he’s been captaining for ages and he’s done really well for Mumbai Indians. Now he also leads India as well. It is that he walks into a place and there’s just cameras in it and he’s so busy and he hasn’t had probably the best couple of seasons of late with the bat but he’s done well as a captain.”
Amidst the swirling rumours, conflicting accounts emerged from social media users. Some asserted that Pandya and Sharma had never followed each other on Instagram, while others claimed that Pandya had recently unfollowed Sharma.
Boucher reiterated that Pandya’s appointment as captain was a calculated move by the management and emphasized the importance of separating personal emotions from cricketing decisions. Despite the change in leadership, Boucher commended Sharma’s leadership during his tenure as captain, acknowledging his contributions to the team.
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