Navjot Singh Sidhu shared his views about Hardik Pandya replacing Rohit Sharma as captain of the Mumbai Indians.
Former India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu will make his return to the commentary box after a decade in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Eager to take to commentary like fish to water, Sidhu revealed he was paid handsomely in his previous IPL stint. The former India opener said that he was taking home INR 25 lakh per day during the IPL. For Sidhu, cricket has always been his first love. Known for his witty one-liners, Sidhu observed that the IPL 2024 will set the tone for the ICC World Cup.
Sidhu questioned Rohit’s fitness ahead of IPL 2024(AFP-PTI)
Veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are expected to headline India’s squad at the grandest stage this year. However, both icons of the game have played limited T20I cricket since the 2022 World Cup. While Rohit is confirmed to lead India at the T20 World Cup, former skipper Kohli will aim to further strengthen his selection case at the IPL 2024. After missing the entire England Test series due to personal reasons, former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Kohli will be making his return to competitive cricket in the upcoming IPL.
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‘I would rate Kohli as the greatest’
Speaking to news agency PTI, Sidhu branded Kohli as the greatest Indian batter. “They will be needed there. These are giants of the cricketing world. Form is like the morning dew, it can elude you but the class of these people has stamp of authority. I would rate Kohli as the greatest Indian batsman for the simple reason, his fitness, he is getting fitter with age like old wine does. Technically very sound and he has the uncanny knack of adapting to all three formats, same goes for Rohit,” Sidhu said.
Sidhu questions Rohit’s fitness with ‘Sehwag with those glasses’ remark
However, Sidhu expressed his reservations about the fitness of Rohit. “Both are quality players. I am not sure about Rohit’s fitness levels. With age you tend to slow down, your reflexes tend to go. Sehwag with those glasses, his reflexes were not the same, I saw it in the IPL,” Sidhu continued. Veteran opener Rohit was replaced by all-rounder Hardik Pandya as the captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI) for IPL 2024. The 36-year-old will take up the role of a pure batter for Mumbai this season.
What Sidhu said about Pandya replacing Rohit as MI captain
Rohit’s former deputy at Team India, all-rounder Hardik was confirmed as the MI captain following his sensational all-cash deal with Gujarat Titans (GT). Pandya missed the business end of the ICC World Cup 2024 due to an ankle injury. Despite missing the services of Pandya, Rohit’s Team India made it to the final of the ICC World Cup. India recorded a perfect ten but the hosts lost the final to Australia.
‘Old order must change’
“In the recent World Cup they were playing very well, they just had one bad game, one bad game cannot asses the fortunes of a team. I see the Indian team ruling the roost for a long time because the system that breeds cricketers is very congenial and conducive. In my time, people would carry on despite bad form because there were no replacements,” Sidhu added.
“Now, Hardik Pandya is replacing the Indian captain as captain at Mumbai Indians because he has performed so well. Not that it is derogatory to Rohit but it is just a thought process. The old order must change yielding place to the new,” Sidhu concluded. MI skipper Pandya has declared himself fit to bowl for Mumbai at the IPL. Hardik’s MI side will meet 2022 winners Gujarat Titans in their IPL 2024 opener on Sunday.
