IPL 2024: MI informed Rohit in advance about Hardik taking over as captain from him | REPORTS

Hardik Pandya has led Gujarat Titans in the IPL edition for the last two seasons. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma had captained Mumbai Indians since 2013.

File image of Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma

New Delhi: Indian captain Rohit Sharma has already been told by the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise that the former Gujarat Titans (GT) player will be the new captain of their side ahead of the recently concluded ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in India, according to reports. The five-time champions named Hardik as their new skipper on Friday.

Former Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik returned to the franchise last month following a trade deal between MI and GT. During his leadership in GT, the Indian all-rounder led his side for the last two seasons, during which Hardik also won the IPL 2022 title and reached the final of the 2023 edition, where they were defeated in a thrilling final against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK ).

After announcing the news of the new skipper, Mumbai Indians shared a heart-warming post on social media for Rohit. ‘Ro, in 2013 you took over as captain of MI. You asked us to believe. In victories and defeats you asked us to smile. 10 years and 6 trophies later, here we are. Our eternal captain, your legacy will be etched in blue and gold. Thank you, Captain RO,” MI wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

As per the report in the Indian Express, it stated that Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has agreed to play under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya in the upcoming IPL 2024 edition.

However, the report further revealed that Pandya’s trade with Mumbai Indians’ Gujarat Titans ahead of the IPL 2024 mini-auction was mainly aimed at acquiring a captain.

The MI franchise management after consultation agreed to Pandya’s condition and informed Rohit about it during the ODI World Cup 2023. However, right-handed batsman Rohit left it to the MI franchise to decide the future of the team.

Rohit Sharma has captained the MI side since 2013 and since he took over the reigns, the side has won five titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. Mumbai Indians also became the most successful IPL franchise along with Chennai Super Kings, who also carry five trophies.

“We express our gratitude to Rohit Sharma for his exceptional leadership; his tenure as captain of Mumbai Indians since 2013 has been nothing short of extraordinary,” said Mahela Jayawardene, MI’s Global Head of Performance.