AB de Villiers feels Rohit Sharma will hand over CAPTAINCY duty to Hardik Pandya if the latter joins Mumbai Indians

De Villiers said Sharma will remain as ODI and Test skipper for India so Pandya can lessen the burden of captaincy by becoming an MI skipper.

AB de Villiers feels Rohit Sharma will hand over CAPTAINCY duty to Hardik Pandya if the latter joins Mumbai Indians

AB de Villiers and Hardik Pandya (Image via X)

There is considerable buzz surrounding reports of Hardik Pandya‘s being traded to Mumbai Indians (MI) from Gujarat Titans (GT). Former South African captain AB de Villiers joined the bandwagon and said if the trade happens, then Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Rohit Sharma would hand over the captaincy duties to Pandya.

De Villiers said Sharma will remain as ODI and Test skipper for India so Pandya can lessen the burden of captaincy by becoming an MI skipper. Notably, Sharma is reportedly pondering over his T20I future.

YouTube video
I have a funny feeling Rohit is going to let him (Hardik) captain. Rohit carries a lot of pressure about captaining Team India. Maybe that is going to be the move.
De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.

Pandya used to be a part of MI and played an integral role in their successful campaigns. But the five-time champions released the all-rounder before the auction for 2022. He led the GT to victory in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL). In the 2023 season, GT reached the final but lost to MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

AB de Villiers wants to see Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the 2024 T20 World Cup

After the 2023 ODI World Cup, the focus of the cricket fraternity will shift toward the 2024 T20 World Cup. Two senior players of Team India, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, are likely to participate in the tournament. And though Sharma is unlikely to play more T20Is, de Villiers, on his YouTube channel, said India needs the experience of the two senior players.

AB de Villiers
IND vs AUS (Image via ESPNcricinfo)

Here’s what he said:

You need to have experience in World Cups and I don't think you get any better experience than the two of them.

De Villiers also said he understands how Sharma and Kohli are feeling after losing the World Cup final to Australia. Mr. 360 recalled South Africa’s heartbreaking defeat to New Zealand in the final and said he doesn’t even know whether he is over the defeat at present. Notably, India lost the final after winning matches continuously on the trot since starting their campaign.

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