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Five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, Mumbai Indians, are in a state of disarray at the moment following the tectonic shift that witnessed Hardik Pandya not only return to the franchise but also take over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma.
The radical decision has still not gone down well with fans, who are still in disbelief at the prospect that the leader who delivered them all of their titles was asked to step aside. Rohit has remained silent over the entire situation, choosing to focus on his international commitments.
However, his wife Ritika Sajdeh, chose to respond, especially when Mark Boucher spoke about the 'cricketing' decision to hand over the leadership responsibility to Hardik Pandya.
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," Boucher had said in an interaction with Smash Sports.
Ritika chose to speak up, leaving a comment on Smash Sports' Instagram post where Boucher defended the decision to sack Rohit Sharma as captain.
"So many things wrong with this…," she commented.
On that note, let us take a look at why the comment is a huge concern for the Mumbai Indians.
#1 Shows massive instability behind the scenes in 'One Family'
Mumbai Indians have been renowned for their massive support system behind the scenes, with owners playing a direct hand in the proceedings of the franchise as well as the welfare of their players. Former MI team members have spoken highly of the manner in which they were treated during their time at the club.
While such behind-the-scenes incidents are not common with a stable franchise, only a single one of massive magnitude is enough to disrupt everything.
Senior team members like Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah have hinted their displeasure over Mumbai Indians' decision to sack Rohit Sharma, and now Ritika's comments add more fuel to the fire. Whether there was a lack of communication or betrayal or any other factors, is yet to be known, but such antics are possibly the last thing that a team need.
#2 It could not have come at the worst time
Apart from the severity and impact of the scathing comment, the timing also comes across as a concern for the Mumbai Indians. With the upcoming season set to begin next month, the last thing that the five-time winners needed was for the entire saga to be stirred up before the dust from the initial outburst settled.
Players tend to respond well to good team environments, and Ritika's comment is bound to increase the unrest in the entire Mumbai Indians camp, which is far from ideal as far as the franchise's ambitions are concerned.
Mumbai Indians will want their players to be laser-focused for the upcoming season, and while the squad will be at their professional best, the transition will be tricky and the entire chronicle is bound to play out in the back of their minds, which could affect their performance in the season.
#3 Nearly all fans sympathize with Rohit Sharma
As mentioned before, the decision regarding the captaincy change has been criticized by fans, who are arguably the soul of any franchise. Losing the support of fans is one of the worst possible scenarios for a franchise, and while in most cases it happens with a lack of success or poor planning, in this case, MI have dug their own grave.
Mumbai possesses one of the biggest and most loyal fan bases in the entire lPL, who adore and worship Rohit Sharma, and rightly so, considering he has been the face of the franchise. However, in choosing to disrupt the hierarchy, MI have not only meddled with their own stable foundation but also earned the wrath of fans, who are not forgiving in nature by any means.
Since there were not many details surrounding the captaincy shift, there was an assumption that it might have been an amicable passing of the baton. But, Ritika's comment, calling out the head coach of the franchise, shows that there were a lot of elements involved, which has riled up fans all over again, making matters much worse for the Mumbai Indians than before.
They had just about managed to extinguish the fire with great difficulty and have to do it all over again, preferably in time for the upcoming season.
Will the entire saga surrounding Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma impact MI's IPL 2024 campaign? Let us know what you think.
