The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) kicks off on March 22, with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Eden Gardens. Meanwhile, the five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will begin their campaign on March 23, facing arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a high-voltage encounter.
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Hardik Pandya to Miss MI’s Opening Match
However, Mumbai Indians have suffered an early setback, as their newly appointed captain Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the season opener due to a disciplinary action stemming from MI’s last group-stage match in IPL 2024.
With Pandya unavailable, MI faces a crucial decision—who will lead the team against CSK? Should Rohit Sharma return as captain for one match, or should MI look for an alternative leader?
Should Rohit Sharma Captain MI Against CSK?
Rohit Sharma is one of the most successful players and captains against CSK. His leadership record against the Men in Yellow speaks for itself:
Rohit Sharma’s Captaincy Record vs CSK
| Criteria | Data |
|---|---|
| Matches Captained | 22 |
| Wins | 12 |
| Losses | 10 |
| Win Percentage | 54.5% |
Additionally, Rohit has been a prolific run-scorer against CSK:
Rohit Sharma’s Batting Stats vs CSK
| Criteria | Data |
|---|---|
| Matches | 34 |
| Runs | 896 |
| Average | 29.86 |
| 50s/100s | 7/1 |
He is the third-highest run-getter against CSK, trailing only Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan. His best performance against CSK came in IPL 2024, when he smashed 105 runs—his maiden century against the Yellow Army.
Why MI Should Not Hand Captaincy to Rohit Sharma
While Rohit’s experience and numbers make him a strong candidate to lead MI in Hardik’s absence, there are valid reasons why MI should stick to their original plan and let Rohit focus solely on his batting:
- The decision to remove Rohit as captain was made to help him focus as a batter. The move paid off, as he had his best IPL season in the last 10 years in 2024, scoring 417 runs in 14 innings at an average of 32.08.
- Asking him to lead for just one game could bring back unnecessary pressure and disrupt his batting form.
- Suryakumar Yadav could be a better short-term leadership option, allowing MI to maintain stability.
Conclusion
Even if it is for just one match, Mumbai Indians should not bring back Rohit Sharma as captain. The franchise should allow him to focus on his batting, just as they planned when they made the leadership change.
Instead, MI should turn to Suryakumar Yadav or another experienced player to lead the team for the season opener. Maintaining continuity will help MI start their IPL 2025 campaign on a strong note, rather than disrupting their long-term plans.
