IPL 2024: Rohit Sharma presented special jersey by Sachin Tendulkar on his 200th game for Mumbai Indians

Rohit Sharma was replaced as the captain of the Mumbai Indians ahead of the Indian Premier League 2024. When Hardik Pandya was made the new skipper, there was a huge uproar amongst the fans of the champion franchise. It was a hard decision to digest for Rohit fans in particular as he is touted as one of the best captains IPL has ever seen. However, amidst all the gung-ho, there is a silver lining as the fan favourite played his 200^th IPL game for Mumbai Indians on Wednesday, March 27.

For a player who has been an active part of the league since its inception, the India opener has served the now defunct Deccan Chargers franchise before joining the ranks of Mumbai Indians. He was instrumental as the captain and MI were a force to be reckoned with and won five championships down the years. He is only behind Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, who have played 239 and 222 matches respectively for their respective franchises. On his 200^th game, Mumbai Indians icon and legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar presented the Hitman with a special MI jersey embossed with the 200 number.

Watch the viral video of Sachin presenting a special jersey to Rohit here:

MI in search of maiden IPL 2024 victory

The five-time champions had a rough start to their IPL 2024 campaign, as they were outclassed by last year’s finalists Gujarat Titans. Pandya in particular seemed quite active on the field as he took on his former franchise in MI’s opening game. Chasing a target of 169 set by the Shubman Gill led side, the former triumphant side faltered at the business end of the game.

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With Pandya on strike, the Mumbai-based franchise needed 19 off the last over as Umesh Yadav aimed for a resurgence. He was hit for a six and a four by the India all-rounder in the first two deliveries. Later, Yadav orchestrated a remarkable comeback and dismissed Pandya off the subsequent delivery. He later went on to claim pinch hitter Piyush Chawla’s wicket. Yadav conceded just 13 runs and GT emerged victorious by 6 runs in a closely fought encounter.