MI vs LSG: Rohit Sharma leaves Mumbai's practice session, Suryakumar Yadav follows when Hardik Pandya walks out

The ongoing IPL 2024 is in its final stages, but rumors of a rift between Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya and former captain Rohit Sharma are still going strong. The latest report on the bitter relationship between the Indian stars can shock the cricket world, raising concerns among fans and cricket experts.

Notably, tension between Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma has been a subject of speculation among cricket fans and analysts ever since the Indian all-rounder took over the Mumbai Indians (MI) captaincy ahead of the ongoing IPL 2024 after being traded from the Gujarat Titans (GT).

Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya's strained relationship revealed

Rohit was the longstanding captain for MI, and the Indian skipper led the team to five IPL titles, but his failure as captain for the last three seasons led the team management to hand over the leadership to Hardik, having been impressed by his leadership potential for both Team India in T20Is and GT.

However, MI’s move didn’t go down well with either the fans or the team, as they booed Hardik during the IPL 2024 matches and never supported him like the many players of the five-time champions, leading to their elimination from this season.

Well, there were a lot of reports that there was not all well between Rohit and Hardik, and even in some instances, they were seen disagreeing with each other. However, both players have publicly maintained a professional relationship and mutual respect, saying they have only one goal: to see MI’s success.

But now it is being said that Rohit and Hardik don’t want to look eye to eye, and even they avoid training together at the MI camp. There are reportedly two different camps within the MI setup, which is not a good sign, as they both will represent India at the T20 World Cup 2024.

Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya's rift divides Mumbai Indians

According to a report by Dainik Jagran, the tension between Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya appears to be escalating, as the two players have rarely practiced together in the ongoing IPL 2024, fueling speculation about a rift between them.

On the eve of MI’s IPL 2024 match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Rohit was seen hitting the nets first, focusing on his batting drills. However, when the Indian skipper was practicing at Eden Gardens, Hardik was not there. After completing his batting drill, Rohit was seen sitting on the sidelines with his MI teammates, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma.

The report further claimed that the MI’s practice took an intriguing turn when Hardik arrived for his net session. As soon as Hardik walked out to have his session at the nets, Rohit, along with Suryakumar and Tilak, promptly got up and moved to the other side of the ground in Kolkata, avoiding interaction with the MI skipper.

This incident has intensified the rumors about an alleged rift between Rohit and Hardik. Their reluctance to engage with each other during practice sessions has only increased speculations about the underlying tensions within the team, which has now seemed to divide into two groups. Its impact was visibly felt in MI’s performance this year, winning only 4 matches from their 13 outings so far in the tournament.