Hardik Pandya to Lead Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024, Replacing Rohit Sharma
The Mumbai Indians announced on Friday that Hardik Pandya will captain the team in the next Indian Premier League season.
Hardik replaces the franchise's five IPL titles-winning captain, Rohit Sharma.
The news comes after Hardik returned to his former team, Gujarat Titans, last month.
Following a successful two-year stay in Gujarat, where he led the team to two finals, one of which he won in 2022, Hardik returned to Mumbai in a high-profile deal before of the December 19 auction.
The Mumbai Indians said in a statement that the leadership move was part of their long-term plans and praised Rohit for his outstanding service to the team.
Mumbai Indians, along with Chennai Super Kings, are the most successful IPL franchises, having won five titles each.
"It is part of legacy building and staying true to the MI philosophy of being future-ready," stated Mahela Jayawardene, Global Head of Performance for the Mumbai Indians, of Hardik's appointment. The Mumbai Indians have always had outstanding leadership, from Sachin to Harbhajan and Ricky to Rohit, who have all contributed to the team's immediate success while also looking to the future.
"It is in keeping with this philosophy that Hardik Pandya will assume captaincy of Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2024 season,” Jayawardene added.
Rohit, who recently led India to the ODI World Cup final, had headed the franchise since 2013, when they won their first of five IPL titles.
The other titles won by Rohit were in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. Mumbai Indians advanced to the IPL 2023 play-offs.
"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 led to the team's unprecedented success, but it has also cemented his reputation as one of the best captains in IPL history.
"Under his leadership, MI became one of the most successful and well-liked teams in history." "We look forward to his guidance and experience on and off the field to help MI grow.""We welcome Hardik Pandya as the new captain of MI and wish him the best," Jayawardene continued.
Hardik played a crucial role in Mumbai's IPL triumphs between 2015 and 2021 before departing to skipper the Titans. He guided them to their first IPL title in 2022, as well as a runner-up finish earlier this year.
In the shortest format, the big development raises concerns for Rohit's future. The 36-year-old was upset after India fell short against Australia in the final ODI World Cup match at home after winning 10 consecutive games.
Another ODI World Cup appearance appears improbable, but he might be back in six months to lead India in the T20 World Cup.
Surprisingly, Rohit and Virat Kohli have not played for India in the T20 format since the country's quarterfinal loss at the World Cup in Australia last year.
