Rohit Sharma epitomizes the notion of being the "architect of his own fate," and Mumbai Indians' head coach, Mark Boucher, finds himself somewhat in the dark regarding the plans of the franchise's most successful former captain ahead of the upcoming IPL mega auctions.
The current all-format captain of India faced the unexpected removal from captaincy by the Mumbai Indians management, ushering in Hardik Pandya as skipper earlier in the year. However, this strategic maneuver backfired significantly, leading the team to the bottom of the table with only four wins to its name.
Despite the team's lackluster performance, Rohit emerged as the top-scorer for Mumbai Indians in the season, accumulating 417 runs, which included a century and a half-century. His departure from the field during Friday's match against Lucknow Super Giants was met with a standing ovation from the packed Wankhede Stadium.
Boucher, addressing the media at the Wankhede Stadium after Mumbai Indians' 10th defeat of the season, admitted to minimal discussions regarding Rohit's future. He recounted a recent conversation with Rohit, where the latter expressed his focus on the upcoming T20 World Cup.
“To be honest, there hasn't been many conversations about Rohit's future at all. I spoke to him last night or the night before, just to do a little review of the season,” Boucher shared.
“I said, ‘what's next for Rohit Sharma?' He said to me, ‘the (T20) World Cup'. (And) that's perfect. That's all I need to know about what Rohit Sharma's future is."
“For me, he's a master of his own destiny. It's a big auction next season. Who knows what's going to happen? We'll just have to take each day as it comes,” he added.
Reflecting on Rohit's performance throughout the season, Boucher acknowledged the cricketer's mixed bag of results. Despite starting strongly, Rohit encountered setbacks but concluded with an impressive innings.
“It was almost a season of two halves for him. He started off really well, was hitting the ball sweet in the nets, got a great hundred against CSK as well,” Boucher commented.
“We honestly thought that he was on a great path for us to go out there and get some good runs for us. Unfortunately, it's just the nature of T20 as well,” he added.
The former South Africa wicketkeeper-batter said Rohit continued to adapt to the new way of playing as an aggressive opener.
“He went out there trying to be aggressive, which is the new way of playing as an opening batter. He got a couple of low scores, which unfortunately didn't help us in that particular situation as well.
“But he finished off with a fantastic knock -- a competition of two halves for him. If you had to ask Ro, he'd probably say that it was an average season for him, especially with the start that he got off to,” Boucher added.
“Disappointing, to say the least,” Boucher responded when questioned about his assessment of the season.
"I thought after the auction that we had, we (had) identified our bowlers as something we wanted to strengthen and we felt that we did that.”
“Obviously, at the beginning of the season, losing two of them (Jason Behrendorff and Dilshan Madushanka) wasn't great for us, but I still think that we had some great options on paper.
“I thought that we would do a lot better than what we've done. We just haven't managed to put our batting and our bowling together in one single match. There's always been one that's let the other one down, which is unfortunate.”
Felt sorry for Hardik, never nice to go through something like that: Boucher Reflects on Hardik's Ordeal with Boos
Mumbai Indians' coach Mark Boucher expressed deep concern witnessing skipper Hardik Pandya endure hostile receptions and jeers from fans throughout the disappointing IPL season. He acknowledged the impact it had on the star all-rounder and emphasized the need for management to address these issues promptly.
Reflecting on Pandya's situation, Boucher empathized, stating, “It wasn't great hearing all the boos. I felt sorry for Hardik as well. It's never nice to have to go through something like that,” He attributed certain external factors affecting individuals within the team, leading to adverse effects on overall performance.
“There's a lot of stuff going on around him that, maybe, clouded his thoughts every now and again, which is tough for him as a leader as well. He certainly had a lot of support within our dressing room as well and guys trying to help him out as well. But it's a tough thing to go through as a player,” he said.
Boucher admitted that external pressures and underwhelming performances may have clouded his judgment at times. He stressed the importance of addressing any off-field issues that might be impeding the team's progress.
Despite the team's poor performance, Boucher backed Pandya to continue as captain, emphasizing the need for a thorough review before making any emotional decisions. He acknowledged the need for improvement both on and off the field and expressed confidence in the management's ability to address these challenges.
Regarding Pandya's performance, Boucher noted the shift in his role from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians and the technical adjustments required. He emphasized the importance of Pandya rediscovering his hitting power and adapting to his new role within the team.
Acknowledging the scrutiny on his own role as head coach, Boucher remained uncertain about the future but expressed readiness for discussions to address the team's challenges.
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