With Mumbai Indians taking the massive step of replacing Rohit Sharma as captain with Hardik Pandya ahead of IPL 2024, a fan expressed his outrage. In a video that has gone viral over social media, the fan burnt Mumbai Indians' cap and jersey in response to the decision by the franchise.
On December 15th, Friday, Mumbai Indians announced all-rounder Hardik Pandya as their new captain after the Gujarat Titans traded him back to the old franchise. A day after all the franchises announced their release and retention lists, the five-time champions announced the signing of Pandya in all cash deal of INR 15 crores.
Rohit turned the franchise's fortunes completely since taking over amid IPL 2013, lifting them to 5 IPL trophies, the last of which came in 2020. However, the recent World Cup final loss might have put a massive dent into the chances of leading in IPL 2024.
Mahela Jayawardene explains the captaincy change:
Mumbai Indians' Global Head of Performance, Mahela Jayawardene suggested that it was time to trigger a transition, keeping in mind the future and trusts Pandya to be the perfect candidate. As quoted by the official website, the former head coach said:
"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 to Harbhajan and Ricky to Rohit, who while contributing to the immediate success have always had an eye on strengthening the team for the future. It is in keeping with this philosophy that Hardik Pandya will assume captaincy of Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2024 season."
IPL 2024 is likely to begin in March next year.
