Mumbai Indians (MI) director of cricket operation Zaheer Khan has lauded captain Rohit Sharma and revealed the reason behind his success. Rohit is the most successful player and captain in terms of Indian Premier League (IPL) trophies won. He has won 6 IPL titles including five with the MI franchise as captain.

Sharma had joined the MI franchise in IPL 2011 and was made captain of the team in IPL 2013, the same year they won their maiden IPL title. He has since gone on to win the Indian Premier League in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020 making MI only the second team to defend their title and most successful franchise ahead of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) four titles.

Zaheer Khan, a former MI player and now director of cricket reserved high praise for the Mumbai batter and revealed why he is such a successful captain in the Indian Premier League.

He Dedicates Personal Time To Each Individual: Zaheer Khan On Rohit Sharma

Zaheer Khan pointed out how the right-handed batter has contributed significantly to the success of the franchise over the years. In a conversation with Sportstar, Khan advised that Sharma as captain is very approachable and devotes his time to all the players in the team.

He said: “Rohit is a player’s captain. He’s been phenomenal for Mumbai Indians over the years as a player and a leader. The fact that he dedicates personal time to each individual and is very approachable, makes him a role model and a standout leader.

We have always been a team which promotes and gives freedom to youngsters. With Rohit’s experience and attitude, I believe we will have a lot of individuals who would be groomed as leaders in their own respective ways.”

We Are Very Happy With The Team: Zaheer Khan On MI’s Squad For IPL 2022

The Mumbai Indians had retained the likes of Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Kieron Pollard ahead of last month’s IPL 2022 mega auction. Their biggest buy was Ishan Kishan for INR 15.25 crores and they also spent INR 8 crores on Jofra Archer who will not be playing for them this season due to his rehab from elbow surgery.

Khan mentioned that while they have kept their core players, they have also recruited a number of exciting players for this year’s cash-rich league.

He said: “We are very happy with the team. As always, we have created a strong and competitive squad. A big auction also gives you the chance to plan ahead and work on balancing short and long-term goals as a team. We have managed to retain the core of the squad. And with the exciting buys, created a fine mix between experience and youth.”

The Rohit Sharma-led side will take on Delhi Capitals in their IPL 2022 opener at the Brabourne-CCI Stadium in Mumbai on March 27.

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