"He needs to be free" - Simon Doull wants Rohit Sharma to step down as MI captain 

Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull believes that Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma should consider relinquishing his leadership duties in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

He stressed that Virat Kohli made the right call by stepping down as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper. The cricketer-turned-commentator suggested that since Sharma is also captaining the Indian team, he should look to get some pressure off his shoulders.

"I was a big proponent of him [Virat Kohli] giving up the captaincy of RCB, much like I am with Rohit, now that he is the captain of India. I just think this is the tournament where he needs to be free and just play," Doull said on Cricbuzz.

While Mumbai have fared decently this season, Rohit Sharma has struggled to get going with the bat. The senior opener has 257 runs to his name from 13 innings and is averaging just 19.76.

Speaking of Mumbai's campaign, they have won seven out of their 13 matches and are placed fifth in the standings at this juncture. They have a net run rate of -0.128.

Simon Doull also reckoned that the Bangalore-based franchise would have taken Kohli's approval before handing over the captaincy reins to Faf du Plessis, elaborating:

"When I talked about Virat and the captaincy, it was like every pressure was on him. Indian captaincy, three formats, RCB captaincy, and just to see that taken away, and it was never going to go to someone who he wasn't going to respect. So there are only two or three players in world cricket that could have gone to Bangalore and been captain.

"They ended up buying Faf for good money. The case was already there, and it had to have his stamp of approval before they event went for him. So, he gives up the captaincy, he gives the stamp of approval, and they got Faf."

Faf du Plessis was roped in by RCB for ₹7 crore at the IPL mega-auction in 2022. He was appointed as the new captain of the side ahead of the previous edition.

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"To not have a title is a disservice to that franchise" - Simon Doull on RCB's empty trophy cabinet

Simon Doull pointed out that Bangalore have failed to win a single IPL trophy, despite having a number of big names in their lineups in the past.

He claimed that not being able to go all the way through with star-studded teams is a disservice to the franchise. The 53-year-old mentioned that RCB fans will be hopeful of securing their maiden championship title this time around.

"That's [IPL trophy] that's missing in Bangalore's resume," Doull added. "You look across the teams they've had and the players that have come and gone at that franchise, and to not have a title is a disservice to that franchise, to that uniform. When you see that sort of performance tonight, you wonder. Bangalore fans will wonder, is this the year?"

Faf du Plessis and Co. will next be seen in action when they take on defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) in the last league fixture of the season. The match will be played at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday, May 21.