'Mumbai Indians wanted to release Jasprit Bumrah but...:' Parthiv Patel reveals how Rohit Sharma stopped MI from making a blunder
Rohit Sharma is regarded as one of the shrewdest captains in world cricket, and his record as a leader has been fabulous. Numerous young and veteran players have praised Rohit’s exceptional leadership skills, pointing out various qualities in him on and off the field.
New players often applaud Rohit for understanding their game and giving them ample game time and confidence to prove themselves. The young players of the team enjoy his company, for Rohit makes them feel comfortable and express themselves freely without taking additional burden.
Along the same lines, Rohit has also been credited for the immense rise of Jasprit Bumrah, for he gave him consistent chances despite being unimpressive initially. Bumrah has been part of Mumbai Indians since the start of his IPL career and has grown a lot as a bowler under Rohit.
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While Bumrah is an indispensable asset in India and Mumbai Indians (MI) now, Rohit identified his talent early on and stuck with him through thick and thin. Undoubtedly, the ex-MI captain has an eye for talent and backs his players like no other captain.
Parthiv Patel reveals how Rohit Sharma stopped MI from making a blunder
Parthiv Patel, who has played a lot with and under Rohit Sharma, made an interesting revelation about Jasprit Bumrah. Talking on Legends Lounge Show on Jio Cinema, the former wicketkeeper-batter revealed Rohit Sharma stopped MI team management from releasing Bumrah midway through the tournament.
“Rohit is always with the players, and the biggest examples of it are Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. Bumrah joined MI for the first time in 2014, but when he played his first season in 2015 - it didn't turn out that well. It was like that he was to be released mid-season, but Rohit felt this is player is going to shine and that they should keep him. And you saw how, from 2016, Bumrah's performance reached the next level.”
Parthiv also said that Rohit didn’t let MI release Hardik Pandya after he endured a tough season in 2016 and demoted himself to let Jos Buttler open in 2017.
“Same with Hardik Pandya. When he joined in 2015, he became quite the rage, but in 2016, he had a bad season. The thing is, when you're an uncapped player, franchises release you quickly and then assess how a player is performing in the Ranji Trophy or other domestic matches before maybe taking them back. But Rohit did not let it happen. That's why these guys went on to become the players that they did. Talking about international players, I can talk about Jos Buttler. In the 2017 season, Rohit Sharma felt he could contribute more as an opener. So, Rohit Sharma demoted himself, and I opened with Jos Buttler.”
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