NEW DELHI: Former cricketer Parthiv Patel on Tuesday remarked that Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah received unwavering support from Rohit Sharma during the initial phases of their IPL careers with Mumbai Indians.
Drawing a comparison between Rohit's captaincy and CSK's talismanic leader MS Dhoni, Parthiv noted that Rohit, unlike Dhoni, never "made a blunder" and consistently provided astute guidance to his team.
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While Dhoni, over his extensive IPL tenure, had made occasional errors in judgment, Rohit's leadership remained steadfast and reliable.
"I think the most important thing is that he (Rohit) supports his players. The best examples of this are Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah came into the MI set up in 2014 and by 2015, his performance wasn't great," Parthiv told Jio Cinema on Tuesday.
1/7:Players to win IPL title in debut season as captain
Agencies
2/7:Hardik Pandya - 2022
<p>Hardik Pandya assumed captaincy of Gujarat Titans, leading them to clinch the IPL trophy in their debut season in 2022.<br /></p>Agencies
3/7:Hardik Pandya
<p>Hardik Pandya led Gujarat Titans to consecutive finals in 2022 and 2023 before returning to Mumbai Indians as their new captain.<br /></p>Agencies
4/7:Rohit Sharma - 2013
<p>In 2013, Rohit Sharma became the captain of Mumbai Indians, now boasting the joint most IPL titles. His tenure ended before the 2024 season began.</p>Agencies
5/7:Rohit Sharma
<p>As a captain he has won five IPL trophies ( 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020)</p>Agencies
6/7:Shane Warne - 2008
<p>From 2008 to 2011, Shane Warne led in 55 matches, winning 30, losing 24, with one ending in no result. He notably guided Rajasthan Royals to victory in the inaugural IPL edition in 2008.<br /></p>Agencies
7/7:Shane Warne
<p>Shane Warne maintained an economy of 7.27 while claiming 57 wickets throughout four IPL seasons.<br /></p>Agencies"They even pondered sending him back after half the season. But Rohit Sharma believed in his ability and from 2016 onwards, his performance has been excellent," added the former India wicketkeeper, who played 25 Tests.
Bumrah, who came into the MI setup in 2014, has gone on to become the country's go-to pacer in all three formats and played a pivotal role in Mumbai's success in IPL.
Pandya, after becoming a part of the five-time champions in 2015, went on to lead Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in 2022 and is now back as MI skipper, replacing Rohit.
"Same with Hardik Pandya. He came in 2015 and became popular. His 2016 season wasn't great but MI stuck with him and Pandya became the player he is today."
He added that Rohit brings a sense of calm to the side, which is unmatched.
"The best example is the two IPLs MI won by just one run each. That would not have been possible if you don't have a captain who can stay calm on the ground.
1/10:10 IPL captains with highest win percentage
Getty Images
2/10:Daniel Vettori
<p>Daniel Vettori rounds off the list with an overall win percentage of 54.54%, captaining RCB in 22 matches.</p>Getty Images
3/10:Rishabh Pant
<p>Rishabh Pant holds the ninth spot with an overall win percentage of 55%, having led DC in 30 matches.</p>Getty Images
4/10:Gautam Gambhir
<p>Gautam Gambhir achieved a win percentage of 55.42%, with 71 wins out of 129 matches as captain for DC and KKR.</p>Getty Images
5/10:Shane Warne
<p>Shane Warne secures the seventh position with an overall win percentage of 55.45%, leading RR in 55 matches.</p>Getty Images
6/10:Rohit Sharma
<p>Rohit Sharma boasts a win percentage of 56.32%, securing victory in 87 out of 158 matches as captain for MI.</p>Getty Images
7/10:Anil Kumble
<p>Anil Kumble holds the fifth position with an overall win percentage of 57.69%, captaining RCB in 26 matches.</p>Getty Images
8/10:Sachin Tendulkar
<p>Sachin Tendulkar achieved an overall win percentage of 58.82%, captaining MI in 51 matches.</p>Getty Images
9/10:MS Dhoni
<p>MS Dhoni leads with a win percentage of 59.37%, having won 133 out of 226 matches as captain.</p>Getty Images
10/10:Steve Smith
<p>Steve Smith holds the second position with an overall win percentage of 59.52%, captaining in 43 matches for PWI, RPS, and RR.</p>Getty Images"When there's a tense match, sometimes wrong decisions or blunders are made. But the hallmark of Rohit Sharma's captaincy is that in the last 10 years, you don't remember that he made a blunder.
"Even Dhoni has made blunders like giving Pawan Negi an over, but if you see Rohit, you'll never see a blunder. Keeping the process simple is something that Dhoni advises but we see Rohit practice that in games," added Parthiv.
Former India pacer Zaheer Khan said Rohit takes decisions based on circumstances, which is one of the most difficult tasks for a captain in IPL.
"You can plan for a game in advance but nobody knows how proceedings will unfold in the middle. He (Rohit) acts according to situations and takes decisions, and many times they are different from what may have been planned in the run-up to the game.
"I think that's his strength. In the IPL, taking on-the-spot decisions is one of the biggest challenges for captains and he did that well for MI," he added.
(With inputs from PTI)
