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Former India coach Abhishek Nayar has shared an interesting inside story about Rohit Sharma’s early days as captain. Nayar revealed that Rohit Sharma was sacked as captain of the Mumbai cricket team due to his emotional and expressive behavior on the field.
When Rohit Sharma was sacked as Mumbai captain following emotional outburst
The former India all-rounder revealed that Rohit has been very vocal from his early days. He shared that if a fielder failed to catch a ball or something went wrong, Rohit would often express his frustration openly by throwing his hat, shouting or reacting violently, even though he was still Rohit Sharma.
At the time, such behavior was unacceptable for a captain. Rohit’s aggressive and emotional style did not fit that image and he was eventually relieved of his duties as Mumbai captain. Ironically, Rohit went on to become one of India’s most successful and respected captains.
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Also read: Not Virat Kohli! Former CSK star rates Rohit Sharma as closest man to MS Dhoni
The hitman created his own legacy by leading India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title, the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy and five IPL titles with Mumbai Indians. He has also established himself as one of the most dangerous openers of all time, but he is only active in ODI cricket now.
Voice and passion: Rohit’s early leadership style
Abhishek Nayar on The Great Indian Cricket Show said: “Everyone says Rohit Sharma is a great captain. But not many people know that he was relieved of the captaincy of Mumbai team. Because he was so expressive, people used to doubt whether he could lead the team. Because if someone missed a catch, he would pick up his hat and throw it away. He used to shout and say something.
So, this was very new at the time. It’s not something that people would say is okay. At that time, people had a concept that the captain should be very educated. He should calm down. He shouldn’t say too much. So I think there are a lot of stories. If I shared them, he would kill me. Because there are many stories here. “
Our generation’s cricketing life is like no other: Nayyar
Meanwhile, the current Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach explained that his generation was very passionate about cricket and made a living from the game, but things are different now.
Nayar concluded, “But we used to do a lot of things. I feel cricket has changed. But our generation is like that, we live in this game. Literally. Because even after the game, we don’t go home. We used to sit in the dressing room and talk until we were kicked out. We used to talk a lot and pass the time.”
Abhishek Nayyar: Everyone knows that Rohit Sharma is a great captain. But few know that he was sacked as Mumbai captain for his over-performance. His high-pitched vocal style was considered novel and unconventional at the time. 😂🔥
— Rohan 💫 (@rohann__45) February 4, 2026
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Rohit Sharma and Abhishek Nayar’s Mumbai relationship
Notably, Rohit and Abhishek developed a close friendship from their days in Mumbai. Nayar is more than just Rohit’s teammate as he has been coaching the former India skipper, improving his skills and keeping him fit. Even Rohit publicly praised Nayar for improving his batting ability.
Rohit recently represented India in the ODI series at home against New Zealand. He will next feature for Mumbai Indians in the upcoming IPL 2026.
