Former Indian cricketer and IPL commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu stirred conversation in the cricketing world after unveiling his IPL 2025 Team of the Tournament. The biggest surprise? His choice of Rohit Sharma as captain, despite the veteran not leading Mumbai Indians (MI) this season.

Sidhu’s announcement, made via his YouTube channel, instantly caught fans off guard.

Rohit, while playing an impactful role for MI, was not among the standout openers of the tournament—a title arguably reserved for Gujarat Titans’ Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan. In fact, MI was captained by Hardik Pandya in IPL 2025, with Rohit playing a supporting senior role.

Yet, Sidhu entrusted Rohit with virtual captaincy responsibilities in his tournament XI, citing the senior pro’s legacy and temperament in crunch matches—most notably, his brilliant 81-run knock against GT in the eliminator.

Rohit ended the season with 418 runs at a strike rate of 149.28 and an average of 30—solid, but far from career-best numbers.

Shreyas Iyer Snub Raises Eyebrows

What made Sidhu’s pick even more debatable was the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer from captaincy. The Kolkata Knight Riders skipper played a crucial role in turning around the franchise’s fortunes. Under Iyer's leadership and head coach Ricky Ponting’s guidance, KKR reached the IPL final for the first time in 11 years. With a balanced squad featuring emerging Indian talent and experienced overseas players like Josh Inglis, Iyer’s tactical acumen drew widespread praise.

Cricket fans and analysts alike expected Iyer to be recognized as the captain of the season. However, Sidhu appeared to favor experience and legacy over recent form, choosing Rohit based on his five-title history with MI and big-match prowess.