Mumbai Indians (MI) on Friday (December 15) appointed Hardik Pandya as their captain ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. Hardik replaced a highly successful Rohit Sharma, who led the franchise to a record five IPL titles.

The announcement came less than a month after Hardik returned to MI, following a high-profile trade from Gujarat Titans (GT), whom he led in the past two seasons.

This unexpected move has sparked a wave of disappointment among fans, with many expressing their anger on various platforms.

Soon after the announcement, the franchise lost lakhs of Instagram followers. A video also went viral on social media, in which a Rohit fan was seen burning MI’s cap.

Earlier in a statement on Friday, Mumbai Indians said the change in leadership was part of their future planning and thanked Rohit Sharma for his incredible service.

"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.