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| Mumbai Indians: File photo |
In a surprising development, Mumbai Indians have appointed the returning Hardik Pandya as their captain for the IPL 2024 season, taking charge from Rohit Sharma after his 10-year tenure as skipper. Hardik, who led Gujarat Titans to the IPL crown in 2022, was traded back to MI just last month after two years. He is now set to embrace a new role, succeeding the joint-most successful captain in the history of the Indian Premier League. Rohit, alongside MS Dhoni, has clinched the title five times for his franchise – a remarkable feat achieved over 10 seasons, in contrast to MSD's 12.
The announcement puts an end to all speculations surrounding Hardik's role with the franchise. After leading GT to the IPL title last year and securing a runner-up finish in IPL 2023, expectations were high for a more significant role for Hardik. The extent of his new responsibility has now been revealed. Having already unofficially taken over from Rohit as India's T20I captain, Hardik will now lead MI into a new era, aiming for bigger and better accomplishments.
To new beginnings. Good luck, #CaptainPandya 💙 pic.twitter.com/qRH9ABz1PY
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) December 15, 2023
Mahela Jayawardene said :
"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,"
"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" added Jayawardene.
During Rohit's captaincy from 2013 to 2020, MI claimed five titles. However, with disappointing results in 2022 and 2023, the change in leadership seemed inevitable.
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Rohit Sharma assumed the captaincy of Mumbai Indians from Ricky Ponting midway through IPL 2013, steering the team to its inaugural title by defeating Chennai Super Kings in the final. Rohit holds the position as the fourth-highest run-scorer in IPL history, accumulating 6211 runs, of which 3986 were garnered while leading, spanning 157 innings with a strike rate of 129.37 and notching 25 fifties. Among IPL captains, Rohit's run tally is the third-highest, trailing Virat Kohli's 4994 runs and MS Dhoni's 4660. His successor, Hardik Pandya, made his IPL debut with Mumbai Indians in 2015 and has contributed 1476 runs and 42 wickets for the franchise. Initially signed as an uncapped player for INR 10 lakh, Pandya played a pivotal role in MI's triumphs in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.
From April 24, 2013, when Ponting stepped down as MI captain, to 2023, Rohit led Mumbai to 87 victories in 158 IPL matches, marking the highest by any captain during this period. Dhoni ranks second with 82 wins. Rohit also boasts more victories as a captain in IPL playoff games, including finals, securing 10 wins in 13 such matches—one more than Dhoni's 9 out of 15. Remarkably, MI never faced defeat in an IPL final under Rohit's leadership, emerging victorious in five out of 13 instances where they reached the summit clash.
Rohit Sharma's role with the franchise has become even more crucial. At the age of 36, there are concerns about Rohit's involvement in T20 matches, both for Mumbai Indians and the Indian national team. The previous season, where MI finished fifth and failed to qualify for the Playoffs, marked Rohit's poorest performance with 268 runs from 14 matches, averaging 19.14. The subsequent season, IPL 2023, showed a slight improvement with 332 runs from 16 innings. However, a concerning fact emerges: Rohit has not scored a single half-century in the last two IPL editions, raising doubts about his effectiveness as a force in T20 cricket.
After the removal of Rohit Sharma as captain, Mumbai Indians shared a post.
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 & Gold. Thank you, 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐎💙 pic.twitter.com/KDIPCkIVop— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) December 15, 2023
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