Rohit Sharma
Credit: PTI File Photo
With hours to go for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction to start at the Coca-Cola arena in Dubai, the rumour mills are going strong.
Who will fetch the highest bid, which team will buy Australia’s World Cup hero Travis Head and New Zealand’s surprise package Rachin Rachindra are among some of the questions lingering in the minds of cricket fans all over.
However, there is one topic which has really divided the cricket community worldwide – and that is the future of Rohit Sharma.
After being divested of Mumbai Indians (MI) captaincy despite helping them win a record five IPL titles, Sharma’s future at the Mumabi-based franchise now remains under a cloud.
With the ‘Hitman’ being replaced by the more flamboyant Hardik Pandya as the team skipper, doubts remain if Sharma will be ready to play second fiddle to Pandya or seek greener pastures in other franchises.
Pandya, who captained Gujarat Titans to IPL glory in 2022 was traded to MI in November 2023 and it is presumed that leading the Mumbai franchise was one of the pre-conditions that he had set before switching from Gujarat to Mumbai.
Sharma's popularity is such with the Mumbai-based franchisee that many hardcore fans started unfollowing the MI Instagram handle immediately after his removal as captain.
The grapevine is abuzz that Sharma might make a move to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) where he incidentally started his career. There are even rumours of him making a move to either Chennai Super Kings (CSK) or Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) which looks very unlikely at the moment.
Many former cricketers vented their anger at the MI management for the unceremonious way Sharma was removed as captain, especially given the fact that he is currently the designated captain of the national team in all three formats.
There were some some from current crop including Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah who have played under Sharma at MI, who posted cryptic messages on X, expressing their solidarity with the 36-year-old.
Whether Sharma will take the disappointment in stride and play under Pandya or move to another franchise, will be known in a matter of hours. Till then the guessing game continues!