Mumbai Indians produced a heart-pounding victory against Delhi Capitals by 12 runs during IPL 2025 on Sunday. Karn Sharma became a match changer by picking up three important wickets during the middle overs before Mumbai Indians secured victory through multiple run outs. The pivotal moment belonged to Karn’s entrance but former MI captain Rohit Sharma received most of the credit for identifying the strategic opportunity. Former cricketers Sanjay Manjrekar and Sanjay Bangar challenged the storey by recommending Hardik Pandya for the credit instead.
Sanjay Manjrekar Defends Hardik Pandya’s Leadership Amid Rohit Sharma Credit Debate
Sanjay Manjrekar said “There are many people who are there to give suggestions but it all depends on the person in the middle who has to take the decision. He (Hardik) listened to the advice (from Rohit) is the biggest thing. If you give Rohit credit here as well and not Hardik Pandya, it would be the wrong thing. If the suggestion had failed, you would’ve blamed Hardik. It’s quite easy to give suggestions from outside. The entire credit for this (victory), should go to Hardik Pandya. Considering how emotional he has been (over Mumbai’s recent results), it was an important win for him. It has been quite a difficult journey for him. Would be wrong if social media and others say that Mumbai Indians won because of Rohit Sharma’s suggestions. Hardik Pandya is the captain, and he is the one taking decisions, no matter who is giving suggestions.”
Hardik Pandya’s Leadership Deserves Credit Over Rohit Sharma’s Sideline Role
Although he did not perform strongly at bat against Delhi Rohit Sharma actively guided Mumbai Indians while watching from the sidelines. During match strategic timeouts he appeared with coach Mahela Jayawardene to contribute his insights about the current playing situation. Sanjay Manjrekar and other former cricketers object to minimizing the role of Hardik Pandya because Rohit Sharma does have undeniable tactical experience but they disagree about neglecting Pandya’s contributions. Under final pressure Hardik Pandya made decisive decisions while being the team captain and his leadership played a key role in earning the victory. The excessive praise of Rohit’s role in the win reduces the leadership importance of Hardik Pandya because the captain made crucial decisions that led to the triumph.
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