Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has shared his insights on how Rohit Sharma, the seasoned cricketer, can help alleviate the pressure on Mumbai Indians’ captain Hardik Pandya. Chopra believes that a substantial knock from Rohit Sharma in the upcoming IPL 2024 clash against Rajasthan Royals could significantly ease the pressure on Hardik Pandya. He emphasized that Sharma has been in good form and his performance at the top could set the tone for the rest of the match.
Aakash Chopra on Rohit Sharma’s role in MI
“Let me start once again with Rohit Sharma. Rohit Sharma has looked in good form. He was batting well in the last match and the match before that as well. I agree he will have Nandre Burger and Trent Boult in front of him but this battle needs to be won from the top. So I am playing a punt on Rohit Sharma once again. A big knock from Rohit Sharma and the pressure on Hardik Pandya the captain will be released slightly,” Aakash Chopra said on his official YouTube channel.
Mumbai Indians languishing at the bottom of the 10-team points table. While it’s still early in the 17th edition of the T20 league, Pandya’s Mumbai are aware of the urgent need to break their losing streak and bolster their Net Run Rate, which currently ranks as the league’s poorest at -0.925.
Chopra also highlighted the role of Hardik Pandya, both as a captain and a batter. As a captain, Pandya needs to make strategic decisions to improve the team’s performance. One such decision could be to get Jasprit Bumrah to bowl with the new ball, aiming to take out at least two among Jos Butter, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Sanju Samson in the first six overs.
As a batter, Pandya has faced criticism for his slow scoring rate in the last match, where others scored at a strike rate of 200-250. However, Chopra noted that sometimes a player can get stuck and it’s important for Pandya to maintain his confidence.
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