Hardik Pandya Replaces Rohit Sharma as MI Captain: Hardik Pandya officially took over as Captain for the Mumbai Indians on December 15th, ahead of the Indian Premier League 2024 season.
Rohit Sharma led his former franchise after Ricky Ponting retired as Ricky Ponting did before leading them to their inaugural title that same season.
Rohit, now 35, led his team to four successive championships in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020 respectively. Mahela Jayawardene, MI’s Global Head of Performance, spoke of how Hardik was chosen as captain with the future of MI in mind.
Jayawardene noted: “Building a legacy and being true to MI’s philosophy of future readiness are both key components of MI’s success.
Mumbai Indians have always been led by outstanding leadership from Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Ricky Ponting and Rohit.
While each has contributed immediately towards team success, they also looked ahead at future strengths for strengthening. Hardik Pandya will follow this tradition when leading Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024.”
Rohit for his exceptional leadership as captain of Mumbai Indians since 2013. Since 2013, his tenure has been remarkable, bringing untold success to his team while cementing himself as one of IPL’s premier captains. We extend our gratitude and thanks to Rohit for being part of our journey!
Rohit Sharma led Mumbai Indians to five championships during his 10-year stint as captain. In comparison, MS Dhoni won 10 titles during that time, while CSK has had their captain for twelve years now.
Hardik left MI after their 2021 edition and led Gujarat Titans to victory against Rajasthan Royals at their inaugural final matchup in 2022.
Hardik Patel won the Player of the Match award at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Hardik led his Titans team into the 2023 final, where they lost to the Chennai Super Kings.
Hardik replaced Rohit as captain of MI, prompting outrage among fans who felt that Hardik and MI had mistreated Rohit.
Here Is A Look At 3 Reasons Behind Hardik Pandya Replacing Rohit Sharma As Mumbai Indians’ Captain
1. Hardik Pandya Trade Deal
Since Hardik Pandya was traded from Gujarat Titans to this franchise, all signs have pointed toward his return as captaincy being promoted as one of its main reasons for doing so.
Five-time champions put a lot into making the deal possible, including releasing Cameron Green from their roster. Hardik was brought back so he could lead it.
One assumes this factor was at play; having spent two years as captain for Gujarat Titans and possibly becoming India’s new white-ball skipper could be the primary factor driving his return.
2. Rohit Sharma’s Batting Style
Rohit Sharma may have been India’s premier all-format batsman recently, but that does not extend to T20 cricket or the IPL.
Recently, his returns for Mumbai Indians (MI) have seen a significant decline – scoring just 332 runs (20.75), 268 (19.14) in 14 matches in 2022, and an astonishing 381 average 29.30 run scorer (in 13 games in 2021).
Rohit Sharma has not averaged more than 30 runs in any IPL season since 2016 and only ever managed a strike-rate above 140 during 2015.
As MI was successful and Rohit served as captain, his batting performance did not affect the franchise to any significant degree.
But since losing in three seasons has forced them to prepare for a future without him, the Hardik-led team will hope Rohit can return to form without the responsibility of being captain in 2024.
3. The Transition Should Be Smooth
Rohit, at 36 years old, is not getting any younger. To protect their future success at mega auctions in 2025 and ensure a seamless transition, MI needed to move away from Rohit as soon as possible – now more so than ever, with Hardik serving as captain while Rohit can assist him as the two co-captains remain together in MI’s team.
RELATED ARTICLE: RINKU SINGH RETAINED IN ONLY 55 LAKHS KNOW REASON OF IT
1 thought on “Hardik Pandya Replaces Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indian Captain”