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'Same team could be a terrific team': Ravi Shastri passes blunt verdict on Rohit Sharma's MI captaincy in IPL 2023
Ravi Shastri has shared his honest assessment of Rohit Sharma's performance as Mumbai Indians' (MI) captain at the IPL 2023.
With the record-time champions struggling to keep their playoff hopes alive in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has shared his honest assessment of Rohit Sharma's performance as the leader of the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise. Averaging 18.40 in the first 10 matches of the IPL 2023, there is no denying that veteran Indian opener Rohit has failed to fire for the Men In Blue in the 16th edition of the cash-rich league.
Rohit, who is the most successful player in the history of the cash-rich league, has only notched up a single half-century in the 2023 season of the IPL. Rohit's Mumbai Indians side was outplayed by four-time winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in match No. 49 of the IPL 2023 on Saturday. Extending his lean patch in the IPL 2023, India’s all-format captain Rohit scored a three-ball duck against MS Dhoni's Yellow Brigade at the Chepauk.
Reflecting on his performances in the IPL, former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri observed that Rohit's work as a captain has increased significantly since the previous two editions of the elite tournament. “As a captain, more important is that your performances come into play. If you start getting on a purple patch where you are scoring runs, the job as a captain becomes much easier. The body language on the field changes, that energy on the field is different. It's totally different. As opposed to when you not getting runs, you can go flat - no matter who you are,” Shastri told ESPNCricinfo.
The senior batter has amassed only 184 runs in the IPL this season. Under the leadership of the Hitman, five-time winners Mumbai Indians are occupying the sixth spot on the IPL 2023 points table. Rohit's Mumbai Indians side has suffered five defeats in their first 10 matches of the IPL 2023. Mumbai Indians will next meet Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 54th match of the IPL 2023 at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.
“Plus, the resources you had 2-3 years ago, aren't quite the same, then comes the challenge, how do you get going? How do you motivate that bunch? How do you create a combination? How do you see who is the best in that lot to fit in and deliver at a certain stage of the game? So the challenges as a captain might have doubled for him. The work as a captain would have doubled as opposed to two years ago. Where everything was nice, go out there and do the job. Having said that, you still have to captain a side. Which you did brilliantly. It's harder. The stage of his career, and the kind of team that they have. The same team could be a terrific team. In a year's time or 2 years' time. Once they start getting together, but to get that right mix, that's the job of the captain,” Shastri added.
