Fans burn Mumbai Indians jersey after Hardik Pandya replaces Rohit Sharma as captain

In arguably the biggest news ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, it was announced that star all-rounder Hardik Pandya will be the new skipper of the five-time champions Mumbai Indians in the upcoming season of the IPL.

Replacing their icon, Rohit Sharma, the news of Pandya being the new skipper did not sit well with Rohit fans. Not taking kindly to the news, videos of a Rohit Sharma fan burning the cap and jersey of MI have been doing the rounds all over social media.

Previously the skipper of Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians brought back Pandya in an all-cash deal ahead of the IPL 2024, and many were excited about the all-rounder’s comeback, however, with the change in captaincy, the mood in the fans’ minds seems to have changed.

Mumbai Indians reached the knockout stages of the IPL in 2023 but failed to go all the way. However, with the changed captaincy and the addition of Hardik Pandya in the side, it could be interesting to see how the five-time champions fare.

It is part of legacy building and staying true to the MI philosophy of being future-ready: Mahela Jayawardene

Talking of Hardik’s appointment as the new skipper of Mumbai Indians, Mahela Jayawardene, Global Head of Performance of the franchise came forward to opine that his appointment is a part of legacy building and keeping the players of the future ready to take up such roles. 

“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,” Mahela Jayawardene was quoted as saying by The Hindustan Times. 

"It is in keeping with this philosophy that Hardik Pandya will assume captaincy of Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2024 season,” he added.