IPL 2023: 'Challenges as a captain might have doubled' - Ravi Shastri points major reason for Rohit's debacle

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has opened up on Mumbai Indians and India skipper Rohit Sharma’s form after the latter has been going through a tough phase of form. Rohit, who is yet to fire in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season has been at the gunpoint of several critics with Shastri mentioning different reasons for his debacle of form. Despite criticism, Rohit continues to take charge of the MI side while he will also lead India in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final in June.

"The resources that you had two or three years ago isn't quite the same. The challenges as a captain might have doubled for him. The work as a captain would have doubled as opposed to two years ago when everything was nice, set - go out there and do the job," Shastri said about Rohit's captaincy while he spoke on ESPNcricinfo.

So far in the IPL 2023, Rohit has scored 184 runs with only fifty to his name and clearly has been a shadow of himself. He has averaged 18.40 so far in the IPL 2023 and has been striking at 127.

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Interestingly, not since 2020 has Rohit hit multiple fifties in his IPL which is another major concern for the franchise and the India skipper.

"And then comes the challenge of how do you get them [the team] going, how do you motivate that bunch, how do you create a combination, how do you see who is the best in that lot to fit in and deliver at a certain stage of the game,” added Shastri.

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Commentating at IPL, Shastri also believes the dip in form has taken its toll on the captaincy of Rohit. Mumbai Indians finished bottom of the IPL in 2022 standings while the current season is an upgrade but with ups and downs. They have not been in the top four of the IPL for the entire season and will need to finish strongly to claim a playoff berth.

"If you start getting on a purple patch where you are scoring runs, the job as a captain becomes much easier, the body language on the field changes, that energy on the field is different as opposed to when you are not getting runs. You can go flat no matter who you are," Shastri said.

Mumbai Indians and Rohit will next take the field on Tuesday against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Wankhede Stadium with a win for either side firing them to the top four.

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