Sunil Gavaskar backed Mumbai Indians's decision to appoint Hardik Pandya as captain of the franchise for Indian Premier League 2024.

Gavaskar said the much-debated call would have been taken after the management felt the need for fresh thinking under a new skipper.

Speaking to Star Sports, Sunil Gavaskar opined that Rohit Sharma looked a bit tired leading Mumbai Indians in the last two seasons, highlighting that he was also leading India across all three formats from the start of 2022. 🏏

"We shouldn't go into rights and wrongs. But, the decision they have taken is for the benefit of the team. In the last two years, Rohit's contribution, even with the bat, has dipped a little bit. Earlier, he used to score big, but in the last two yearsâ€æ they finished No. 9 or No. 10 the year before last year and in the last year they qualified for the playoffs," Gavaskar said.💯

"But we missed seeing the mojo in Rohit Sharma that we used to see in the previous few years. Maybe, he was a little tired because of playing continuous cricket, he was a little tired because of captaincy, leading India and the franchise," he added.

"I feel that the decision, they have kept in mind that Hardik is a young captain who has produced results. Hardik has led Gujarat to the finals twice, and he led them to the title in 2022. I think they have made him captain by considering all this."

Gavaskar also backed Hardik Pandya to bring in a lot of success at Mumbai Indians, saying that the franchise will only benefit from the change in captaincy.✅️

"At times, you need fresh thinking. Hardk brings in that fresh thinking. I think the decision will only benefit Mumbai Indians, it will not deter them," he added.