"I was Surprised....," Michael Vaughan criticises Rohit Sharma

image-lg0vwt4eRohit Sharma in the match against RCB in IPL 2023 (AP Photo)

Michael Vaughan is known for not shying away from criticising things he don't like and in recent times has come up with plenty of controversial statements on Indian cricket that have a created lot of buzz on social media and cricketing circles.

Now again, after a humiliating loss of MI against RCB  in their opening encounter, the former English skipper criticised Rohit Sharma's captaincy and moreover his decision to not bowl Jofra Archer first up when Mumbai did not have a big total on the board.

Vaughan said that he was pretty surprised that Jofra Archer bowled the fourth over and added that he if he would have been a captain of Mumbai, he would have brought Archer on from either of the end at the start. He criticised Rohit's bowling choices by adding that when you need wickets, you need to go to your trump card and there are situations in cricket where a captain needs to go against their pre-plans on the field.

This is what Michael Vaughan said to Cricbuzz:

"I was surprised that Jofra Archer bowled the fourth. When you've got a relatively small total, I'd have Jofra on from one of the first two overs. They need to get early wickets. You have to go for your trump card, and if that's a pre-planned move that Jofra's going to bowl four and six, there's time in cricket and in T20 cricket when you've got to go against your pre-plan," 

Vaughan also defended Jofra Archer after the pacer had a bad day in office and could not get any breakthrough for his side. Vaughan said that it was not easy for Archer to bowl his first over when both Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli were set and it would have been better if he would have opened the bowling when both the batters were new to the crease.

"I don't think it was easy for him [Jofra Archer] to come because they were 30/0 when he got his first over. They are both in, got their eyes in. It's not an easy two overs to be bowling when you've got two outstanding players set. I think it'd have been better suited to bowling at the top and trying to knock one or two of them over," 

The Englishman also explained that the pressure of IPL and international game if different. He added that there is pressure while playing international games but one also has protection around and a player knows that they are going to be playing few more games. Vaughan also gave an example of Harry Brook's failure in his debut IPL game and said that the pressure of IPL got to him and he did not look like the player, he has looked in England Jersey for last six months.

"It's a different pressure than what you have when you go back to play for your international team. Yes, there is pressure playing for your international team, but you've got real protection around you that you know you're going to be playing a few games. Look at Harry Brook, playing for the first time in the IPL. He didn't look like the player that he had been in an England jersey for the last six months. The IPL brings a different pressure." 

Mumbai Indians will play their second game at their den, Wankhede Stadium against Chennai Super Kings on Saturday, 8th of April. Let's see how the five-time champions respond in what is called as an EL-Classico of IPL.