IPL 2024: Hardik Pandya replaces Rohit Sharma as captain of Mumbai Indians

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction is just a few days away as all ten franchises are eager to build their squad ahead of the 17^th edition of the tournament. Ahead of the much-awaited season, five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) have announced a change in leadership as all-rounder Hardik Pandya has replaced Rohit Sharma as the captain of the side.

Notably, Hardik has returned to MI after two years through a player trade with Gujarat Titans. The all-rounder led Gujarat to a title victory in their debut season in 2022 with stellar performances with both bat and ball. He further led them to the second consecutive final in the 2023 season as well where they lost to Chennai Super Kings in a thrilling last-ball finish.

However, in a shocking move ahead of the auction, Pandya was acquired by MI through a player trade where they paid INR 15 crore to Gujarat and an undisclosed transfer fee. The move meant that the 30-year-old returned to the franchise which showed trust in him in his formative years after buying him for INR 10 Lakh in the 2015 auction.

Since then, there was no looking back for the all-rounder as he played a pivotal role in four title victories for Mumbai from 2015 to 2020. However, after an off season in 2021, he was released by MI ahead of the 2022 mega auction.

The Gujarat-born cricketer was further signed up by Gujarat ahead of the 2022 season for INR 15 Crore and was also appointed the captain of the newly formed franchise where he tasted massive success.

Also Read: Here is how Hardik Pandya was traded to Mumbai Indians despite Gujarat Titans naming him in retention list

Hardik has massive shoes to fill replacing Rohit

Meanwhile, Pandya’s succession as the captain of MI is a major move by the franchise as it was Rohit Sharma who brought a drastic change in their fortunes in the 2013 season after a disastrous first-half in the edition. Led by Ricky Ponting, Mumbai had lost three of their first six matches in 2013 and brought a change in the leadership midway through the season by appointing Rohit as the captain from the seventh game onwards.

The move brought a paradigm shift in Mumbai’s IPL history as they went on to win their first trophy by beating two-time champions Chennai Super Kings in the final. There was no looking back for MI from there onwards as they went on to add five IPL trophies to their cabinet within eight years of Rohit’s leadership.

In the 2023 season as well, the 36-year-old led a young side to Qualifier 2 in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and with an injury-marred Jofra Archer. With the return of Pandya and Bumrah ahead of IPL 2024, Mumbai is once again looking a formidable side eyeing to script their sixth glorious chapter of their illustrious IPL history.

Also Check: IPL 2024: Mumbai Indians Retained Players, Released Players and Purse Remaining ahead of Auction

We express our gratitude to Rohit Sharma for his exceptional leadership: Mahela Jayawardene

“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,” said Mahela Jayawardene, Global Head of Performance, Mumbai Indians in a statement.

"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. 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,” he added.