The appointment of Hardik Pandya as captain by Mumbai Indians created a lot of buzz among the Indian cricket fraternity on Friday, December 15. The star all-rounder has Rohit Sharma as MI skipper, who led the team to five IPL titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.
Hardik was traded to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans for a whopping Rs. 15 crore in an all-cash deal. The 30-year-old won his first IPL title as captain with Gujarat Titans in their debut IPL season in 2021.
However, Mumbai Indians trading Hardik Pandya from Gujarat Titans was not an easy decision as it has been reported that he agreed to return to his first IPL franchise only if he was given the captaincy duties. As per a report by Indian Express, Pandya made it clear to the MI owners that he will back them only if he is allowed to lead the team.
The Mumbai Indians management agreed to Hardik Pandya’s demands and informed five-time IPL winning captain Rohit Sharma about the franchise’s decision during the World Cup 2023.
With Hardik Pandya resuming his captaincy duties with Mumbai Indians, Rohit Sharma’s 10-year stint as a skipper officially came to an end on Friday. Rohit is the joint-most successful captain in the history of Indian Premier League.
Rohit Sharma was informed about Hardik Pandya’s captaincy
Rohit Sharma has been reportedly informed by Mumbai Indians about Hardik Pandya returning to his old franchise after two seasons with Gujarat Titans, this time as captain.
Mumbai Indians made it clear to Rohit Sharma about the roadmap going ahead during the World Cup 2023. The franchise also informed him about the need of change in captaincy and reportedly agreed to play under the leadership of Hardik Pandya in the upcoming IPL season.
Rohit Sharma first took over the reins of captaincy amid IPL 2013 when Mumbai Indians were off to a poor start under the leadership of Ricky Ponting. Then, the 36-year-old turned the game around for the team and led them to their first ever IPL title. Thereafter, Rohit captained MI to four IPL titles, the joint-most for any captain alongside CSK captain MS Dhoni.
In the IPL 2024, Rohit Sharma will play purely as a player for the first time since 2012.
