In a surprising turn of events, Hardik Pandya has been appointed as the captain of the Mumbai Indians for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. This decision marks the end of Rohit Sharma’s impressive ten-year stint as the skipper of the team. Rohit, during his captaincy, led the Mumbai Indians to the glorious achievement of clinching five IPL trophies.
Pandya’s return to the Mumbai Indians comes as part of a sensational trade from the Gujarat Titans. The all-rounder, who served as the captain for the Gujarat Titans in the past two years, notably secured the IPL title with the franchise in 2022.
Commenting on this significant transition, Mahela Jayawardene, the Global Head of Performance for Mumbai Indians, highlighted the team’s commitment to legacy building and staying true to the philosophy of being future-ready. According to Jayawardene, the decision to appoint Pandya as captain aligns with the team’s tradition of exceptional leadership, ranging from Sachin Tendulkar to Harbhajan Singh, Ricky Ponting to Rohit Sharma.
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Expressing gratitude to Rohit Sharma for his outstanding leadership, Jayawardene acknowledged Rohit’s extraordinary tenure, describing him as one of the finest captains in IPL history. The Mumbai Indians will continue to value Rohit’s guidance and experience on and off the field to further strengthen the team.
Hardik Pandya Ends Rohit Sharma’s Decade-Long Captaincy
Welcoming Hardik Pandya as the new captain, the Mumbai Indians extended their best wishes to him in his new role. They wrote on X, “We welcome Hardik Pandya as the new captain of MI and wish him all the very best.โ
Pandya played 31 matches for the Gujarat Titans, amassing 833 runs in two seasons. He also showcased his all-round prowess by taking 11 wickets for the team.
Pandya played 92 matches for Mumbai Indians, scoring 1,476 runs with a strike rate exceeding 153. His contribution extended beyond batting, with 42 wickets to his name.
Pandya won four IPL trophies with Mumbai Indians (2015, 2017, 2019, 2020) and one with the Gujarat Titans (2022).
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Following the announcement of the captaincy change, the Mumbai Indians took to social media to express their heartfelt appreciation for Rohit Sharma’s captaincy journey, acknowledging his role in building the team’s legacy.
MI wrote: “We express our gratitude to Rohit Sharma for his exceptional leadership; his tenure as the captain of the Mumbai Indians since 2013 has been nothing short of extraordinary. His leadership has not only brought unparalleled success to the team but has also solidified his place as one of the finest captains in the history of the IPL. Under his guidance, MI became one of the most successful and loved teams ever. We will look forward to his guidance and experience on and off the field to further strengthen MI.”
Fans Reaction
Fans of Mumbai Indians and Rohit Sharma seem disappointed after the captaincy change. Fans believe Rohit Sharma doesnt deserve this betrayal by the franchise he took to another level. Netizens also seem angry over Mumbai Indians management. They believe Suryakumar Yadav or Jasprit Bumrah should have succeeded as the captain after Rohit.
Letโs have a look on some of the fanโs tweetsโ
The big question now looms over whether this change in captaincy for Mumbai Indians could potentially signal a similar shift for Rohit Sharma in India’s T20 International team. Rohit has been absent from T20Is since the semi-final defeat at the 2022 T20 World Cup. In his absence, Hardik Pandya has led India in 13 of their last 25 T20Is.
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However, Pandya is currently sidelined with an ankle injury sustained during the recent ODI World Cup. Suryakumar Yadav, another Mumbai Indians player, took on the captaincy role for India. The cricketing world awaits further developments in this intriguing storyline.
