Is it true that as things change, they remain the same? If you ask a Mumbai Indians player, they will most likely say ‘yes.’ “It’s the same thing going on; it’s not anything new,” said Mumbai Indians batter Tilak Varma.

Varma would have you believe that the change in captain has not affected the team. Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya share the same philosophy, attitude, and flair. “You see, Hardik bhai is a fantastic leader. And as everyone knows, Rohit Bhai is a team player. “So he’s always available for Hardik bhai,” he says.

The MI management expects one change from both the incoming and former captains. That’s Rohit’s batting statistics. Rohit has only scored 500 runs in the league once in 16 seasons, and that was back in 2013 when he scored 538 runs and MI got their maiden shot at the IPL crown.

He hasn’t had such a successful year at bat in ten years. This is precisely why the five-time champions have changed their captain this season. For a hitter of Rohit’s caliber, status, and reputation, that is not a record to brag about. His run totals over the last two seasons have been 338 and 268 at dismal averages of 20 and 19, respectively, which is why, according to MI coach Mark Boucher, he was stripped of the captaincy.

“It’s [the captaincy move] just a cricketing decision, and I believe it will bring out the best in Rohit as a person and a player. Just let him go out there and enjoy himself while scoring some runs… It is that he walks into a room and there are only cameras in it, and he’s so busy, and he hasn’t had probably the best couple of seasons with the bat of late, but he’s done well as a captain,” the South African controversially said last month, a comment that went viral and even elicited an angry reaction from Rohit’s wife.

Rohit has not talked about the much-debated captaincy move, but without the responsibility of captaincy, the expectation is that he will let his bat speak for him. This might be Rohit Sharma’s season. And it might begin on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera when the Mumbai Indians face the Gujarat Titans.

For the Titans, it would be a significant test for captain Shubman Gill, and not only the GT managers but also Indian selectors would be watching his performance. More importantly, the absence of Mohammed Shami might have a significant impact on the team’s performance. He was their greatest wicket-taker (28 and 20) in the previous two seasons, and Umesh Yadav, their most recent signing, has high expectations. ” Shami bhai couldn’t join us owing to injuries. Umesh bhai is a very seasoned Indian bowler, and I believe he will be able to do the job for us,” Gill stated on the eve of the match, clearly at ease in his new role.

From a batting perspective, two of Sai Sudarshan, Abhinav Manohar, and Vijay Shankar could play, but the main question is whether Kane Williamson can make the starting eleven. “Having someone like him contributes significantly to the squad. And I’ve had some very great and intriguing chats with him, and he’s a very organized and balanced person, which I admire. “And hopefully, whenever we need him, he’ll be there for us,” Gill said, implying that the New Zealand skipper will be utilized sparingly.