All-rounder Hardik Pandya has been named the new captain of Mumbai Indians replacing Rohit Sharma. As soon as this news was announced by the franchise, it created a stir on social media platforms. However, as surprising as it may sound, it was on the cards as soon as Pandya joined MI in one of the biggest IPL trades.
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As Indians are one of the most well-run franchises, they are looking towards the future. Sharma is already 36 years of age, whereas Pandya is just 30. This kind of transition is quite normal in any kind of franchise tournament as the teams want someone with whom they can plan for the next 4-5 years.
Ro,
In 2013 you took over as captain of MI. You asked us to . In victories & defeats, you asked us to . 10 years & 6 trophies later, here we are. Our , your legacy will be etched in Blue & Gold. Thank you, pic.twitter.com/KDIPCkIVop— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) December 15, 2023
The fans have all the right to express their disappointment, but the franchise cannot get emotional while making these kinds of decisions. With all being said, the supporters would have been less furious if someone like Jasprit Bumrah or Suryakumar Yadav had replaced Sharma as they have been with the side continuously. Suryakumar even led Mumbai last year in Rohit’s absence.
Not just the fans, but even the players of the side have hailed Sharma as captain of the side. Suryakumar went on social media and posted a heart-break emoji which may be connected with the same news only. He has said on multiple platforms that Sharma was the one who always supported him even in his toughest of times.
— Surya Kumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar) December 16, 2023
After being released by Mumbai, Pandya led the Gujarat Titans in two seasons. The Titans lifted the trophy in 2021 and finished as the runners-up in 2022. With Pandya already leading the Indian T20I side after last year’s ICC T20 World Cup, it was highly unlikely that he would switch teams without taking the leadership role. Earlier this year, even legendary Sunil Gavaskar suggesed Rohit to take break from MI’s captaincy.
Has Rohit Sharma Left MI?
No, Sharma will be seen wearing the Mumbai Indians colours in IPL 2024 as well. This captaincy change must have been a shocking one for the fans, but Sharma would likely have been involved in this process. MI is very close with Rohit as well and a sane process must have been followed. Even Pandya once credited Sharma’s captaincy for his success in competitive cricket.
Mahela Jayawardene, Global Head of Performance of Mumbai, confirmed in the official statement that Sharma will play a part for them both on and off the field. He also thanked Sharma for his services and called him one of the best captains in the history of the tournament.
“Under his (Rohit Sharma’s) 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,” Jayawardene said.
Sharma has played for Deccan Chargers in the past, but he is a local Mumbai boy. It is highly unlikely that he will wear any other franchise’s colours again. The popularity of Sharma between Mumbai’s admirers can be judged by the fact that MI lost around 400k followers on X and 150k followers on Instagram after Pandya’s announcement as captain.
It won’t be wrong to say that Rohit is the most loved Mumbai’s player. After replacing former Australian captain Ricky Ponting as the skipper of the side in 2013, he led Mumbai to five IPL titles. Even without the captaincy badge, Sharma would look to groom the youngsters as a player.
