Mark Boucherr stated, “So those are the kinds of things we need to sit down and address and hopefully make some good calls going forward as well to address the off-field stuff.
The off-field commotion surrounding MI captain Hardik Pandya may have had an effect on the all-rounder’s performance and the squad as a whole, according to head coach Mark Boucher.
This season, there were a lot of moving elements and a lot of things going on, which at times made it difficult to be involved in. Individuals were impacted by some factors, which eventually had an impact on the team. The Mumbai Indians, the reigning five-time winners, had a forgettable IPL 2024 season. With just four wins from 14 games, they finished last in the league and were defeated by the Lucknow Super Giants on Friday by an innings of eighteen runs.
It was clear how the supporters felt when Hardik replaced Rohit Sharma as captain. When Hardik entered the pitch to bowl, there were cheers for Rohit, and when the new captain came out to bat following Rohit’s dismissal, there were jeers.
“Hearing all the jeers wasn’t cool. Of course, I also felt bad for Hardik. Going through anything like that is never pleasant. Yes, there are certain issues that need to be resolved. And we’re going to deal with them, he continued.
I felt he played several really good games: Mark Boucher
Hardik struggled and ended up with just 216 runs and 11 wickets, but Boucher believed that he would grow as a captain as a result of this experience.
“I believe that [Hardik] would be dissatisfied with his performances if he were present. In my opinion as captain, he had a few solid games. It’s difficult for him as a leader as well because there’s a lot going on around him that may occasionally impair his judgement,” he continued.
The five-time winners will reflect on their season after putting the disappointment of 2024 behind them. Boucher is hoping that the management can make some wise decisions to change direction.
“There are aspects of both our off- and on-field performance that require improvement. The management team includes some excellent thinkers, so together, we’ll sit down and figure out how to improve the situation so that the players can play the kind of cricket we know they can play, which wasn’t up to par this season,” MI’s head coach stated.
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In addition, he discussed Rohit’s future with the franchise, saying, “To be honest, not many people have talked about Rohit’s future. I had a brief conversation with him last night or the night before, just going over the season. When I asked Rohit Sharma what was coming up, he said, “World Cup.” And that’s ideal. That’s all the information I require on Rohit Sharma’s future,” Boucher said.
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