PBKS vs MI: "Rohit Sharma had tough upbringing" - Brian Lara takes down BCCI selectors while praising India captain

Rohit Sharma has found the support of the entire nation since taking the team to the World Cup final last year. Since then, he is very much a god-like figure in Indian cricket. 

In a scenario like this, Mumbai Indians removing him as the captain of the franchise and announcing Hardik Pandya as the next captain took the fans and cricket experts by surprise. 

The BCCI secretary Jay Shah then named Rohit as the skipper for the upcoming T20 World Cup to be played in June later this year. Rohit is now playing as a pure batter for Mumbai Indians and without captaincy seems to be enjoying his batting. So far he has scored 261 runs from six games at an average of 52.20. 

Also Read: Mumbai Indians Playing 11 vs Punjab Kings- IPL 2024, Match 33

Rohit Sharma Had A Tough Upbringing: Brian Lara

Meanwhile, Brian Lara speaking to Star Sports praised Rohit Sharma for his work ethic and his overall impact as a player on the Indian team. He responded to a fan's question on Rohit on what sets the star batter apart. Lara praised his ability to keep the controversies and setbacks aside and focus on his batting.

“When you look at Rohit Sharma, you feel that he connects to the public very well. He had a tough upbringing, he came out and pretty much spent his entire life playing for India; sometimes, not getting the nod from selectors and having to work his way back. When you have an image and stature of Rohit Sharma, sometimes, some people don't take the knock down really well. But what's admirable with him is his ability to put everything aside, and put India first, and put Mumbai Indians first, and play cricket the way it should be,” said Lara.

“He's not a sulker, which is great. He is a leader, it doesn't matter if you are captain or not. At some point of time, when you get to a certain age or level, you are a leader. I think he represents that role really well,” Lara said further.

The former MI skipper will be back to playing for the franchise against the Punjab Kings. His dear friend Shikhar Dhawan will miss the match after undergoing a period of rest for his shoulder niggle. Heading into this game, PBKS and MI are eighth and ninth respectively on the points table. 

Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians had a miserable start to their IPL 2024 season losing their first three matches. They won their next two and lost their previous match to CSK by 20 runs. Pandya's bowling to MS Dhoni was taken for 20 runs off four balls and eventually, those runs made the difference. Chasing 206, Mumbai Indians were bowled out for 186 with an unbeaten ton from Rohit Sharma, his second in the IPL.

"They were smart with the plans and their approach. They got the hang of it, there's a man behind the stumps (Dhoni) who tells them what's working, that helps." These comments by him were especially baffling as the experts spoke about how differently Pandya looks at the game than the man he was bowling to. 

Also Read: PAK vs NZ: Mohammad Hafeez reveals the actual reason behind his 'RIP Pakistan Cricket' tweet