Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians' Global Head of Cricket Mahela Jayawardene admitted that handing over the team's captaincy to Hardik Pandya from Rohit Sharma was a tough call.
Hardik Pandya's return to take over the leadership role had evoked sharp responses from the MI fan base, but Jayawardene asserted that the decision was made after meaningful conversations.
He went on to cite the example of Sachin Tendulkar, who gave away MI captaincy to play as a senior batter and mentor the younger players of the side to validate his point.
"Sachin played with the youngsters. He gave the leadership to someone else and made sure Mumbai Indians was going in the right direction. It's the same thing. We had this conversation and everyone is buying into that. It's for us to look forward to the next season," he added.
Despite the Sri Lanka great's explanations, conversations are rife about the possibility of Rohit Sharma leaving Mumbai Indians when the IPL trading window reopens. An experienced captain of Sharma's standard is an asset most IPL sides would wish for, many argue. Some others, are more explicit, claiming that he could be a worthy successor for MS Dhoni in CSK's yellow colours once the former calls it a day.
What are the odds of Rohit Sharma finding a new home in the world's richest T20 league? When will player trading happen and how? Find out here.
The IPL 2024 trade window which closed a week ahead of Tuesday's IPL mini-auction will reopen on December 20, Wednesday. It will reportedly remain open until a month before the start of the 2024 season.
There are two methods for a player to be traded between franchises -- an all-cash deal or through a player-to-player swap.
As per the IPL rules, two teams can begin player trading talks a month after a season ends. The window will then remain open up to a week before the day of the auction.
The trading window will soon reopen and stay active up until a month before the commencement of the next season.
But...
Ahead of the IPL Mega Auction 2022, Mumbai Indians had retained their captain Rohit Sharma for Rs 16 crore. So, it is likely that negotiations to get the Hitman on board means the interested parties should have at least Rs 16 crore in their kitties. Having spent big during the mini-auction, making such an expensive purchase is unlikely to be a popular choice.
