Mumbai Indians (MI) on Friday (December 15) announced all-rounder Hardik Pandya as their new captain. Hardik would be succeeding MI's longest-serving and one of the most successful captains – Rohit Sharma.
Rohit’s 10-year stint as MI captain saw him leading the franchise to five IPL titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.
Last month, Hardik moved from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians with the 2022 champions receiving INR 15 crore in their purse for the IPL 2024 auction. It was an all-cash deal, making Pandya the first title-winning captain to be traded in IPL.
"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," Mahela Jayawardene, Global Head of Performance, Mumbai Indians said.
This news created quite a buzz on social media. Just like the fans, members of the cricket fraternity too couldn’t stop talking about it.
Here are the reactions:
