Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya replaced Rohit Sharma as the captain of Mumbai Indians for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League. Sharma, who led the Mumbai-based franchise to five IPL titles , is the joint-most successful captain as Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The pivotal announcement came less than a month after Pandya was traded from Gujarat Titans.
Pandya led the Gujarat-based franchise to a title and a runner-up finish in the previous two seasons of the cash-rich league. The franchise took to social media to announce, “Mumbai Indians today announced a significant leadership transition for the upcoming 2024 season. Renowned all-rounder Hardik Pandya is set to take the helm as the captain of the Mumbai Indians, succeeding its longest-serving, one of the most successful and loved captains the illustrious Rohit Sharma.”
The Global Head of Performance for Mumbai Indians, Mahela Jayawardene, said, “It is part of legacy building and staying true to the MI philosophy of being future-ready. Mumbai Indians have always been blessed with exceptional leadership right from Sachin to Harbhajan and Ricky to Rohit, who while contributing to the immediate success have always had an eye on strengthening the team for the future.”
The announcement sparked mixed reactions from fans and flooded social media with a flurry of reactions. Here’s how MI and Rohit Sharma fans reacted:
Notably, under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, MI won the title in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.