[Watch] Ahmedabad crowd chants 'Hamara captain kaisa ho, Rohit Sharma jaisa ho' during GT vs MI clash of IPL 2024

Mumbai Indians (MI) senior batter Rohit Sharma received a thunderous ovation from the crowd at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad during the team's IPL 2024 opener against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Sunday, March 24.

Hardik Pandya replacing Sharma as the captain of MI was one of the major talking points ahead of the edition. Several fans were irked by the unceremonious removal of Sharma, who led Mumbai to five title victories.

While Sharma played under Pandya's captaincy in Mumbai's recently concluded match against Gujarat, the crowd at the stadium made it clear who they wanted to see in the leadership role by chanting, 'Hamara captain kaisa ho, Rohit Sharma jaisa ho'.

Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya received contrasting receptions from the Ahmedabad crowd. While the fans were firmly behind Sharma, Pandya was subjected to a lot of boos throughout the match.

It is worth mentioning that Pandya joined the Gujarat-based franchise ahead of the 2022 edition and was also appointed as the skipper of the team. He had a successful two-year stint with the team, taking them to title victory in 2022 and a runners-up finish in 2023.

The talismanic all-rounder moved back to his former franchise, Mumbai, prior to IPL 2024 after being traded in an all-cash deal.

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Rohit Sharma looked in great touch with the bat in GT vs MI match of IPL 2024

Hardik Pandya won the toss for Mumbai and elected to field first. Gujarat kept losing wickets at regular intervals and failed to register an imposing total.

The home team finished at 168/8 after 20 overs. Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill were the top performers with the bat, contributing 45 and 31 runs, respectively.

For Mumbai, Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers, bagging a stunning three-wicket haul. MI were off to a disastrous start in the run-chase, losing Ishan Kishan for a duck in the very first over.

Former captain Rohit Sharma gave the team some hope, countering the Gujarat bowlers with great aplomb. He scored 43 runs off 29 balls before falling LBW to left-arm spinner Sai Kishore.

Mumbai ultimately suffered a six-run defeat, as Gujarat bounced back towards the back end, courtesy of a fantastic spell from Mohit Sharma.