Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar’s decision to step down as the Mumbai Indians (MI) captain may have come as a surprise to many, but in off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, the team has an able replacement.
Bhajji will take a lot of confidence from the fact that he led MI to glory in the Champions League last year. Bhajji donned the captain’s role after Tendulkar sat out as he was recuperating from a toe injury.
The sardar from Jalandhar proved to be a shrewd leader, making smart decisions on the field. More importantly, the team benefitted immensely from the off-spinner’s proactiveness on the field.
Of late, Bhajji has found a lot of success as captain. After leading MI to their maiden title, Bhajji captained the India Green side in the Challenger Trophy. The 31-year-old also led Punjab Twenty20 team to the final of the recently-concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where they were beaten by Baroda.
With a side that is packed with superstars such as Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard and Lasith Malinga, Bhajji will leave no stone unturned in wanting to start the tournament with a bang. While his predecessor’s best finish was a final at the cash-awash Indian Premier League, the sardar will certainly look to go a step further.
— The blogger is a student of Kendriya Vidyalaya Uppal, Hyderabad
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