After three disappointing IPL seasons, criticism around Mumbai Indians’ decision to replace Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as captain continues to grow louder. Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary believes the franchise damaged both the team atmosphere and Rohit’s legacy by making the sudden leadership change.
Mumbai Indians finished at the bottom of the table in IPL 2024 under Hardik’s captaincy and now risk another poor finish in IPL 2026. The repeated struggles have once again sparked debate over whether the franchise made the right decision by removing Rohit, who led MI to five IPL titles.
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Speaking on Cricbuzz, Tiwary said Rohit has silently watched the team culture he built slowly fall apart over the last three years.
“Rohit Sharma has seen his empire crumble in front of his own eyes,” Tiwary said. “You can sometimes see it in his expressions while sitting in the dugout. Deep down, he knows there are decisions he would have handled differently.”
Tiwary also claimed he is “200 per cent sure” Mumbai Indians will appoint a new captain next season. While he backed Suryakumar Yadav as the strongest option ahead of Jasprit Bumrah due to workload concerns, he admitted he still wants Rohit back as skipper.
“I wish with my heart that Rohit is brought back to restore some respect for him,” Tiwary said. “He still has the ability to rebuild the team.”
Former India spinner Murali Kartik echoed similar views and questioned MI’s leadership transition. Kartik felt replacing Rohit despite retaining stars like Suryakumar Yadav and Bumrah naturally hurt the dressing-room environment.
“When you retain players like Rohit, Bumrah and Suryakumar, then suddenly bring somebody else from outside as captain, it is bound to affect the atmosphere,” Kartik said
