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Mumbai Indians (MI) shocked the cricketing fraternity on Friday by replacing Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as the captain of the side for the upcoming IPL 2024 season.
Hardik Pandya was not retained by MI ahead of the mega auction before IPL 2022. Gujarat Titans (GT) signed him before IPL 2022 and made him their captain. Pandya won the trophy for them that year and also led them to the finals in 2023. MI traded Hardik Pandya from Gujarat Titans last month in a surprising move.
The Mumbai franchise took to their official social media handles and announced the appointment of Hardik as captain for the upcoming season on Friday (December 15). Mumbai Indians' Global Head of Performance, Mahela Jayawardene's official statement on the matter read:
“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 (Tendulkar) to Harbhajan (Singh( and Ricky to Rohit, who while contributing to the immediate success have always had an eye on strengthening the team for the future."
He further noted:
"It is in keeping with this philosophy that Hardik Pandya will assume captaincy of Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2024 season."
Indian cricket fans took note of the latest development surrounding the captaincy change of Mumbai Indians. They expressed mixed reactions to the news by sharing memes on social media platforms.
Here are some of the best memes on the matter:
We express our gratitude to Rohit Sharma for his exceptional leadership: Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene expressed gratitude for Rohit Sharma's services towards the Mumbai franchise over the years and labeled him as one of the finest captains. In the statement, Jayawardene added:
"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 concluded:
"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."
Rohit Sharma's captaincy tenure with MI began in 2013 and ended in 2023. He won them five trophies during his time at the helm.
