Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians (MI) sprang a surprise on Friday (December 15) by naming Hardik Pandya as their new captain.

Hardik would be succeeding Rohit Sharma, who led MI to five IPL titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020.

This move came less than a month after Pandya’s high-profile trade from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians worth INR 15 crore. It was an all-cash deal, making Hardik the first title-winning captain to be traded in IPL.

After announcing the news of the captaincy change, MI shared a heartfelt post on social media for Rohit.

"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," MI wrote on X while also posting a video to pay tribute to Rohit.

In a media release, Mumbai Indians said the change in leadership was part of their future planning and thanked Rohit Sharma for his remarkable service to the franchise.

"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," said Mahela Jayawardene, MI's Global Head of Performance.

"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.

"Under his guidance, MI became one of the most successful and loved teams ever. We will look forward to his guidance and experience on and off the field to further strengthen MI," he added.

Rohit Sharma took over as MI captain from Ricky Ponting midway through IPL 2013. Overall, he led MI in 163 matches in which they emerged victorious on 91 occasions and lost 68 games while four ended in ties.