Mumbai Indians dropped a bombshell on Friday by announcing Hardik Pandya as their captain from the 2024 season onwards
The decision officially brings to an end Rohit Sharma’s decade-long run as MI captain, during which he helped the franchise win five IPL and one Champions League T20 titles.
MI had only recently brought Hardik Pandya on board following a blockbuster trade that was confirmed on 27 November. Not many, however, expected Pandya to succeed Rohit right away as skipper
The outstanding leader that he has been for the Mumbai Indians all these years, the franchise was starting to look for a successor, given the ‘Hitman’ will turn 37 halfway through the 2024 season
There have also been concerns regarding Rohit’s form in recent seasons, with his average in the last two seasons reading 19.14 and 20.75 respectively and his strike rate also taking a hit
MI might not have seen a long-term role for Pandya when he parted ways ahead of the 2022 mega-auction. But by leading GT to successive finals, including the title on debut, Mumbai absolutely wanted him back
Additionally the burden of captaincy appeared to have done little to affect Pandya’s individual performances, with the all-rounder scoring 487 runs and taking 8 wickets while leading GT to the 2022 title