As the IPL 2024 season approached, the cricketing fraternity was surprised by the revelation that Rohit Sharma, the iconic 36-year-old and the most successful captain in IPL history alongside MS Dhoni, would be stepping down from captaincy duties. The Mumbai Indians franchise appointed the returning Hardik Pandya as the new captain.
The decision to move Rohit Sharma away from the captaincy role stirred discontent among Mumbai Indians and Rohit Sharma fans. Criticism flooded social media platforms, with fans expressing dissatisfaction over the unexpected change in leadership dynamics.
The discontent reached a higher level when Mumbai Indians released a poster for the IND vs ENG test squad, omitting Rohit Sharma despite his role as the leader of the Men in Blue. This omission intensified the disappointment among fans with Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah all making to the poster .
On Friday (Jan 12), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unveiled a 15-member squad for the upcoming series against England, encompassing the first two Test matches slated for later this month. The squad includes notable names such as Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, with Bumrah appointed as the deputy to captain Rohit Sharma. The spin department will be fortified by the inclusion of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, complementing the seasoned spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who is on a pursuit for his 500th Test wicket
Squad for first two Tests
Rohit Sharma (C ), S Gill, Y Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, S Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan.