'Hardik is your natural choice' - Navjot Sidhu backs underfire MI captain to replace Rohit as India skipper

Former India opener Navjot Singh Sidhu has backed underfire Mumbai Indians' captain Hardik Pandya to replace Rohit Sharma as India skipper in white-ball formats in two years. Pandya replaced Rohit as MI skipper ahead of IPL 2024, and Sidhu feels he's the right man to take over the reins from Rohit in the blue jersey. Sidhu also picked a player who could replace Rohit as captain in Tests.

Although the whole saga of replacing Rohit with Pandya as the new MI captain didn't go well with the fans considering several players were ahead of the India all-rounder in the pecking order for the same position, Sidhu thinks the selectors have made their call on going ahead with Pandya looking at the future.

Pandya led Gujarat Titans for two seasons since switching bases, guiding them to their maiden title in their debut season in 2022 while leading his team to their successive final in the next edition. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma captained MI for a decade, guiding them to joint five IPL titles. However, Pandya returned to his former franchise, with MI naming him the captain straightaway.

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"Hardik Pandya is the future," Sidhu said to India Today. "Rohit is now around 36-37. He has a couple more years left. He is a superb captain and a wonderful player. But, you have to actually look forward and prepare the ground for someone to take over."

"Hardik is your natural choice. That's why BCCI has named him the team's vice-captain," the former India opener added.

Speaking on who would replace Rohit in the red-ball format, Sidhu said Bumrah appears to be the right choice, having shown his credentials as a leader before.

"Jasprit Bumrah has been handling expectations wonderfully well. He was the natural choice for vice-captain. You can have Jasprit Bumrah as Test match captain," Sidhu noted.

Rohit to lead India in T20 World Cup

Following an excellent yet a failed 2023 World Cup campaign, where hosts India lost to Australia in the final, questions were raised around Rohit's future as India skipper across formats. However, the BCCI secretary Jay Shah put every speculation under the mat by confirming Rohit as the leader at the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA, startingJune 1.

With Rohit certain to lead the Men in Blue in the marquee event, the India veteran might continue across other two formats, meaning he could remain India skipper in ODIs and Tests at least until the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in February.