The inevitable has happened and it has happened sooner than expected. Hardik Pandya is the new Mumbai Indians captain for IPL 2024. And he replaces Rohit Sharma, who led MI to five IPL titles since joining the team back in 2013. But was he sacked following a string of poor seasons?
While many would be happy with the transition but some definitely were not. For the Rohit Sharma brigade, it is end of an era. He is the most successful captain in IPL history in terms of winning percentage. Rohit Sharma has played in 158 matches as captain, winning 89 games. For the others, he was “sacked”.
“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,” Mahela Jayawardene, Global Head of Performance, Mumbai Indians said in a statement.
This is how fans reacted: