Mumbai Indians made a significant move, appointing Hardik Pandya as their new captain, replacing Rohit Sharma on December 15 (Friday). This decision might have stemmed from Rohit's absence in T20Is since the 2022 semifinal and a less impressive performance in the 2023 league edition. While Pandya must have been thrilled with the news, the franchise's fans expressed anger and disbelief at the decision.
The announcement resulted in Mumbai Indians losing 400,000 Twitter followers and approximately 150,000 Instagram followers within an hour of naming Hardik Pandya as their new captain for the upcoming Indian Premier League 2024 season. Rohit Sharma, who led the team since 2013, secured a record five titles, a feat equaled by Mahendra Singh Dhoni in IPL 2023. Despite his successful tenure, Rohit won't lead the team in IPL 2024, having not played T20Is since the 2022 World Cup semifinal.
The India captain had taken a break after the heart-wrenching loss in the 2023 World Cup final and is slated to make his comeback in the two-match Test series against South Africa starting on December 26.
Mahela Jayawardene, Mumbai Indians' Global Head of Performance, mentioned, "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," while explaining the move to appoint Hardik Pandya as captain for IPL 2024.
Shortly after the announcement, the franchise posted a heartfelt tribute to Rohit, acknowledging his leadership with a caption that reads, “Ro, In 2013 you took over as captain of MI. You asked us to Believe. In victories & defeats, you asked us to Smile. 10 years & 6 trophies later, here we are. Our forever captain, your legacy will be etched in Blue and gold. Thank you, Captain RO" expressing gratitude for his contributions during his captaincy tenure.