(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] Mumbai Indians (MI) sacked Rohit Sharma from the captaincy ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
Mumbai Indians appointed Hardik Pandya as their new skipper as the change in leadership was announced via social media on Friday.
“Renowned all-rounder Hardik Pandya is set to take the helm as the captain of the Mumbai Indians, succeeding its longest-serving, one of the most successful and loved captains the illustrious Rohit Sharma,” Mumbai Indians said in a statement.
There were already strong indications that Pandya would eventually helm MI when he got transferred back to his original franchise after captaining Gujarat Titans in two seasons and also winning the championship with them.
As for Rohit, he will now feature only as a player for the Mumbai Indians. Under his leadership, MI won five IPL titles, becoming the joint-most successful team in the league history. He took over as MI captain in 2013 with his 10-year stint as the side’s leader ending in 2023, in which the franchise finished as the third-best side.
Mumbai won their last IPL trophy in 2020 and faced a league stage exit in the following two editions as questions were raised on Rohit’s place in the team both as a batter and a captain.
Now that he is no longer captaining in the IPL, it will interesting to see how this transition affects his role in India for the T20 World Cup 2024.