There has been a lot of speculation regarding Rohit Sharma‘s future after IPL 2024 since the star India batter was removed as the Mumbai Indians skipper. Ahead of the new season, his ten-year tenure as the MI captain came to an unceremonious end as he was replaced by Hardik Pandya after the all-rounder completed a sensational trade from Gujarat Titans. Since then, rumours have been flying around about Rohit potentially leaving the franchise at the end of IPL 2024 and that can result in some exciting partnerships for all cricket fans. With no official confirmation on Rohit’s future, here’s a look at how each franchise may suit the Indian cricket team skipper if he decides to leave MI –
Chennai Super Kings
One franchise that has been heavily favoured to be Rohit’s next destination in the IPL is Chennai Super Kings. However, with Ruturaj Gaikwad opening the batting with Devon Conway and the franchise also buying Rachin Ravindra for IPL 2024, the addition of Rohit can cause a bit of an issue for the side. In that situation, the team management may look to use Rohit as a middle-order option or even a proper power-hitter. Secondly, Ruturaj has just replaced MS Dhoni as the captain and with the side looking at him as a long-term option, it is highly unlikely that Rohit will be considered for captaincy.
Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR have struggled a lot to find a stable opening partnership in the past couple of seasons and with Rohit Sharma in their ranks, the team management may finally have a solution. A partnership with Phil Salt will allow Rohit to play his natural game and with Shreyas Iyer struggling both as a batter as well as a captain, the veteran star can easily become the captaincy pick for the franchise. Rohit as captain and Gautam Gambhir staying as team mentor – a duo that can end up causing ripples in the IPL.
Gujarat Titans
There will hardly be any cricket fan who will not want to see Rohit and Shubman Gill open the batting and it will also solve a big hole in the GT batting system. But, once again, captaincy may be an issue as Gill is a young skipper who recently replaced Hardik and the franchise may want to stick with him.
Lucknow Super Giants
Rohit joining LSG can actually be great news for KL Rahul. With an experienced opener like Rohit at the top of the order, Rahul may finally have the freedom to bat lower down the order and provide more support to the middle order. When it comes to captaincy, there is a chance that LSG may gamble on Rohit as their pick with Rahul learning from him and taking over the position once again in the future.
Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals are quite well set on paper and with Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Sanju Samson forming a strong opening 3, the introduction of Rohit may end up causing more problems for the team. Add to that the support that RR have consistently shown in Sanju as their leader and a move for Rohit to RR may end up causing a difficult situation for both the player as well as the team.
Delhi Capitals
Rohit slots in perfectly in a DC team that has struggled to find a good opening partnership in the recent past. With an experienced campaigner like David Warner or a talent like Prithvi Shaw, Rohit will provide a massive boost to the franchise when it comes to batting. However, it is highly unlikely that DC will want to replace Rishabh Pant as their skipper and captaincy does not look likely for Rohit.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Another franchise that will benefit massively from Rohit joining them as a proper opening option. The veteran batter can form a dangerous partnership with Travis Head at the top of the batting order allowing Abhishek Sharma to make the middle order even more dangerous. A lot will depend on how Pat Cummins leads the side in IPL 2024 but there is a chance that Rohit can be given the captaincy.
Punjab Kings
An explosive batter, an experienced captain and a reunion with Shikhar Dhawan – What more can Punjab Kings ask for? The franchise has struggled to find form in the competition for quite some time and although they have a knack of taking the match close, it generally ends in a narrow loss. Rohit can be the X-factor that changes their demeanour and finally turn them into title contenders.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the same IPL team – A sentence powerful enough to excite any cricket fan. With RCB not winning a single title in 16 years, the addition of the joint-most celebrated skipper in the competition can be just the boost that they need. Rohit slots perfectly in the batting order with Virat Kohli finally getting the chance to bat at No. 3 and he can even replace Faf Du Plessis as the captain.
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