Mumbai Indians on Friday decided to replace Rohit Sharma, who led the franchise to five IPL titles, with Hardik Pandya as captain to ensure smooth transition of leadership in their ranks.
Rohit, 36, is the joint-most successful captain in the IPL alongside Chennai Super Kings’ Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Pandya, who led Gujarat Titans to a title and a runners-up finish in his two-year stint, returned to Mumbai Indians last month. Mumbai Indians said they made this decision to stay “future-ready”.
The change in leadership could have a lot of repercussions in the Indian cricket set-up. Rohit, who hasn’t played a T20I since the last World Cup in Australia, is expected to lead the team in the T20 World Cup in June though the BCCI has kept their options open so far.
Whether Mumbai Indians’ decision to replace Rohit as captain is a reflection of their lack of confidence in him is a matter of speculation but it could also adversely affect his chances of leading India in the shortest format.
In an emotional message to the fans on Wednesday, Rohit said the support from the
people had given him the
motivation to “start working again and look for another ultimate prize”. It was the first time he had opened up since India’s loss in the ODI World Cup final.
While Mumbai Indians decided to pay Rs 15 crore to Pandya in a one-way all-cash trade with Gujarat Titans, there had been talk of a trade between the two franchises in exchange for Rohit, sources told The Telegraph.
Rohit Sharma. File photo
It took those involved by surprise, though none of the parties revealed anything. Ultimately, Mumbai Indians decided against sending out any wrong signals.
The message, however, was clear: Mumbai Indians were looking for a new line of leadership after Rohit. They wanted someone with a proven track record and couldn’t rely on Jasprit Bumrah, who had led India in Test cricket, or Suryakumar Yadav.
It was learnt that the management had spoken to Rohit and made their plans clear once he returned from the UK. He has promised to continue playing for the franchise.
Mumbai Indians had a clear-cut plan when they bought Pandya and identified him as Rohit’s successor. They haven’t had much success of late and had finished at the bottom of the 10-team table in 2022.
Pandya leading in the IPL also means a reduction in workload for Rohit, who can now only concentrate on his India commitments. While he is expected to stay captain in the Test format and ODIs, the BCCI’s official line of thinking for T20Is could be clear during the series versus Afghanistan next month.
“It is part of legacy building and staying true to the MI philosophy of being future-ready,” Mahela Jayawardene, Mumbai’s global head of performance, said in a statement.
“Mumbai Indians have always been blessed with exceptional leadership right from Sachin (Tendulkar) to Harbhajan (Singh) and Ricky (Ponting) 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.
“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. 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 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... We welcome Hardik Pandya as the new captain of MI and wish him all the very best.”
