‘Rohit Sharma Did Not Score Runs As A Captain’: Virender Sehwag Backs Hardik Pandya After MI Loss Against RR

New Delhi: Indian legendary opener Virender Sehwag backed Hardik Pandya after Mumbai Indians lost their recently concluded Indian Premier League 2024 match against Rajasthan Royals at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. After losing against RR, MI are currently on seven in the points table tally. This was the fifth loss for Hardik & Co. in the ongoing season of the tournament.

Sehwag reckoned that maybe Hardik is taking pressure because of the expectations but MI were in the same situation last year.

“I don’t think (pressure is increasing on Hardik as a batter and bowler), although, maybe he is taking the pressure because of the expectations around him. But Mumbai were in the same situation last year, and few many times previously as well. It is nothing new to them. Rohit did not score runs as a captain. He did not even win the trophy as captain in the last 2-3 seasons,” he said.

“Mumbai know that they have been in situations like these so only if they perform as a team here on, will they get…but if Hardik goes with the expectation that he has to bowl and bat well and that they are not winning under his captaincy and it sort of creates a pressure on him then that is wrong. And to perform well he has to bat higher up the order as well, right? If you bat down the order, get about 18 balls to face then how will he perform? He needs to give himself that chance, because if he bats well, his bowling and captaincy will improve as well,” he added.