Share this
Hardik Pandya has taken charge as the captain of Mumbai Indians for the upcoming IPL 2024 season, replacing Rohit Sharma. The franchise officially termed this change as a “significant leadership transition,” emphasizing its commitment to legacy building and being future-ready, as stated by Mahela Jayawardene, Global Head of Performance of Mumbai Indians.
The move comes after Hardik Pandya was traded back to Mumbai Indians in an all-cash deal from Gujarat Titans last month, just before the mini-auction in Dubai. There were speculations about Pandya’s potential captaincy role ever since the trade, and the transition period with Rohit Sharma in the MI dressing room during IPL 2024 adds an interesting dynamic.
Rohit Sharma, who took over the Mumbai Indians captaincy midway through IPL 2013, led the franchise to all five of its IPL titles. Under Rohit’s leadership, India reached the final of the One Day International (ODI) World Cup 2023 but lost to Australia. With the change in captaincy, Rohit’s role in the team and his T20I future remain uncertain.
Hardik Pandya, known for his all-round abilities, was appointed as India’s T20 captain last year following a successful IPL debut with Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022. In 2023, under Pandya’s captaincy, the Titans reached the IPL final but finished as runners-up to Chennai Super Kings.
The star all-rounder has been sidelined from action since sustaining an ankle injury during the World Cup match against Bangladesh on October 19. His participation in the upcoming T20Is against Afghanistan, India’s last T20I assignment before the IPL and the T20 World Cup in June, remains uncertain.