Rohit Sharma master of his own destiny, says Mark Boucher

Mumbai Indians coach Mark Boucher stands by struggling skipper Hardik Pandya
MUMBAI: At the start of the season, Mumbai Indians were optimistic about their chances. The reasons behind the expectations: A mean battling lineup capable of destroying any attack and a replenished bowling unit led by the indefatigable Jasprit Bumrah.
However, MI never anticipated the backlash they would face after appointing Hardik Pandya as their skipper, replacing Rohit Sharma, who had led the franchise to five IPL titles and guided India to the ODI World Cup final.The result was a divided fan base that never fully accepted Pandya as the leader. This led to a fractured team dynamic and disjointed efforts on the field, culminating in 10 defeats and finishing at the bottom of the standings for the second time in three seasons.
MI coach Mark Boucher, without naming any individual, admitted: "I do think that there are certain things that did affect individuals, which ultimately did affect the team."
He added that "It wasn't great hearing all the boos" targeted at Pandya. "I felt sorry for Hardik. It is never nice to have to go through something like that. There is a lot of stuff going on around him that, maybe, clouded his thoughts every now and again, which is tough for him as a leader as well. He certainly had a lot of support within our dressing room as well and guys trying to help him out as well. But it's a tough thing to go through as a player," he said.
Pandya had a below-par season. While his bowling improved in the second half of the edition, his captaincy decisions were often questionable. But the South African coach backed the India allrounder to lead MI going forward. "I'm sure that he is the guy that the franchise would like to take forward. We'll wait and see. We'll have these conversations at a later stage," he said and went on to add that even his role as head coach would be under scrutiny.
He also gave a guarded response when quizzed about Rohit's future with MI. "To be honest, there has not been many conversations about Rohit's future at all. We spoke the other night. "I said, 'what's next for Rohit Sharma?' He said to me, ‘the (T20) World Cup'. (And) that is perfect. That is all I need to know about what Rohit Sharma's future is. For me, he is a master of his own destiny. It's a big auction next season. Who knows what's going to happen? We will just have to take each day as it comes," he said.