 "Hardik Pandya Replaces Rohit Sharma As Captain Of Mumbai Indians")
IPL 2024: Mumbai Indians have a new captain and it is the former skipper of Gujarat Titans – Hardik Pandya. Rohit Sharma will no longer lead the team which he guided to five IPL trophies in his astonishing career as captain. He is till date the most successful captain in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, Pandya has been handed over the responsibilities and Rohit Sharma will now contribute as a senior batter.
Hardik led the Gujarat Titans to IPL crown in their debut season of the cash-rich leagu and was traded back to his first IPL team after two years last month. Rohit Sharma stands along MS Dhoni, who also has won five IPL titles for a single franchise but what stands out is that the MI star did it in 10 seasons compared to Dhoni’s 12.
“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. It is in keeping with this philosophy that Hardik Pandya will assume captaincy of Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2024 season,” said Mahela Jayawardene to Cricbuzz who is the Global Head of Performance of Mumbai Indians.
“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,” he added.
“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. We welcome Hardik Pandya as the new captain of MI and wish him all the very best,” he finished. (Kolkata Knight Riders Announce New Captain For IPL 2024, Nitish Rana Named Vice Captain)
Talking about decision, Pandya did pretty well as skipper of Gujarat Titans in their first two seasons – won the first one and reached the final in the second one where they lost to MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings. Rohit Sharma has five IPL titles but the last two seasons have been disappointing for Mumbai Indians.