Not Hardik Pandya! EX-KKR star declares Rohit Sharma as the true leader of Mumbai Indians

Since taking retirement from the T20I and then from the Test format, Rohit Sharma has transformed himself drastically. With a lot more aggressive-minded and a fit physique, the former captain is going strong in the ongoing TATA Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) season for the Mumbai Indians (MI).

The five-time IPL winners' last tasted success back in the 2020 season; since then, they have continued their search for the sixth title. Under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, the franchise has yet to achieve success.

Former Team India cricketer Manoj Tiwary praised Rohit Sharma ahead of MI's match vs the Rajasthan Royals

Amid the ongoing IPL 2026, former Team India batter Manoj Tiwary stated that Pandya might be the captain of the team, but the real leader is Rohit Sharma. Tiwary observed that the authority of the 38-year-old is still visible on the ground.

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As the senior-most player of the franchise, who knows the team for a long time and guided them for 5 IPL silverwares, is the best possible personality the franchise could have in their set-up to nurture and guide the young talents.

Rohit is the leader of the Mumbai Indians: Manoj Tiwary

"You can see that authority when he plays. He brings so much experience with him. And I am sure, even though the captain is Hardik Pandya, but despite that, Rohit Sharma being a part of that camp is very helpful for every player, especially for youngsters. There are a lot of captains in the Mumbai Indians, but there is only one leader. And that is Rohit Sharma," Manoj Tiwary said on a Cricbuzz show.

"There is a lot of difference. A leader sees everything and a captain only captains on the field. So I think that is a big plus," he further explains.

After playing two matches, the Mumbai Indians have one win and a defeat with their names. In those matches against the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Delhi Capitals, the seasoned opener registered 78 and 35 runs, respectively. Tiwary believes that getting a significant amount of runs from a player like Rohit Sharma is a luxury for the team.

Getting runs from Sharma is a luxury for the team!

"And if the runs are coming from his batting, then there can be no better luxury for any management or team," the former cricketer asserted.

Manor Tiwary's comments came ahead of MI's third fixture of the ongoing campaign. Today, MI is scheduled to face the Rajasthan Royals in an away match at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.

It is believed that Rohit Sharma has been working hard on his fitness and batting hard because of the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup. The upcoming ODI World Cup is scheduled to be held next year, 2027. The ongoing Indian Premier League is a good stage for him to redefine his batting skills. Fans will be hoping to see 'Hitman' in the ODI World Cup 2027 squad in the near future.

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