May 29 (Punjab Khabarnama) : Former India opener Aakash Chopra feels that Rohit Sharma won’t play for Mumbai Indians in the next season of IPL after all that happened at the franchise in the recently concluded edition. Rohit was sacked as captain at the start of IPL 2024 as the returning Hardik Pandya took over the charge of the side.
There was speculation throughout the season that MI’s dressing room was a divided house due to the change of guard. Rohit will now captain the national side with Pandya as his deputy in the mega ICC event. Meanwhile, Rohit had a decent IPL 2024 season with the bat, scoring 417 runs at an average of 32.07 and a strike rate of 150. He scored a century and fifty, with the best score of 105*.
However, nothing went as planned for MI as they finished at the bottom of the points table under Rohit’s leadership.
Chopra feels that the five-time champions will make some big decisions for next season and might not retain Ishan Kishan.
“I think they will let Ishan Kishan go. They might use the ‘Right to Match’ card because 15.5 crores is just too much money. I don’t think Ishan will be retained,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Talking about Rohit, Chopra asserted that he has already played his last match for MI and won’t be seen in a blue and golden jersey next season. In MI’s final match of the season, Rohit scored a half-century.
“I think Rohit Sharma has played his last match for the Mumbai Indians, whether he doesn’t want to be retained or the franchise lets him go,” he reasoned.
“Either way, I see them parting ways. I don’t think you will be seeing Rohit Sharma in the Mumbai Indians jersey again. That’s just my understanding. I might be wrong but I feel, either which way, Rohit Sharma will not be playing for the Mumbai Indians when you start the next season,” the former India opener added.
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma also landed in New York for the T20 World Cup alongside other players of the squad. The team has already started training for the mega ICC event. The Men in Blue will start their campaign on June 5 against Ireland at the newly constructed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.
Meanwhile, the most-awaited blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan will take place on June 9.