Hardik Pandya appointed as captain for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024 marks the conclusion of Rohit Sharma’s decade-long leadership reign.
Hardik Pandya is set to lead Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2024 season, succeeding Rohit Sharma, who served as captain for the past 10 years. This significant move follows Hardik’s return to Mumbai Indians after leading Gujarat Titans to the IPL crown in 2022. Rohit Sharma, one of the most successful captains in IPL history, achieved five titles in a remarkable 10-season tenure, distinguishing himself alongside MS Dhoni.
Mahela Jayawardene, former Sri Lanka captain and Mumbai Indians’ head coach, emphasized the franchise’s commitment to building a legacy and staying future-ready. Jayawardene stated that the decision to appoint Hardik Pandya as captain aligns with the team’s philosophy of ensuring long-term success. Hardik’s leadership experience with Gujarat Titans, including an IPL title and a runner-up finish, contributed to his selection as the new captain.
The announcement puts an end to speculations about Hardik’s role in the franchise. Having already taken on the unofficial role of India’s T20I captain, Hardik is now poised to usher in a new era for Mumbai Indians. Despite Mumbai Indians’ impressive five titles under Rohit’s leadership between 2013 and 2020, the recent disappointing results in 2022 and 2023 signaled the need for a change in leadership. The transition to Hardik Pandya reflects the team’s aspiration for bigger and better achievements in the upcoming season.
Rohit Sharma assumed the role of Mumbai Indians (MI) captain midway through IPL 2013, succeeding Ricky Ponting, and steered the team to its inaugural title victory against Chennai Super Kings. As the fourth-highest run-scorer in IPL history with a total of 6211 runs, Rohit amassed 3986 runs as captain across 157 innings at a formidable strike rate of 129.37, featuring 25 fifties. His captaincy run total is the third-highest among IPL captains, trailing behind Virat Kohli’s 4994 runs and MS Dhoni’s 4660. In the period from April 24, 2013, when Ponting stepped down as MI captain, to 2023, Rohit led MI to 87 wins in 158 IPL matches, the most by any captain during this timeframe.
Hardik Pandya, Rohit’s successor, commenced his IPL journey with MI in 2015, scoring 1476 runs and claiming 42 wickets for the franchise. Initially signed as an uncapped player for INR 10 lakh, Pandya played a pivotal role in MI’s title triumphs in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.
Expressing gratitude for Rohit Sharma’s exceptional leadership, Mahela Jayawardene acknowledged his significant contributions, solidifying Rohit’s status as one of the finest captains in IPL history. However, with Rohit’s age at 36, concerns have arisen regarding his participation in T20s, both for MI and the Indian team. The last IPL season saw Rohit’s lowest performance with 268 runs from 14 matches at an average of 19.14. While IPL 2023 saw a slight improvement with 332 runs from 16 innings, the absence of a half-century in the last two editions raises questions about Rohit’s effectiveness in T20 cricket.
Recognizing Rohit’s crucial role with the franchise, Jayawardene emphasized looking forward to his guidance and experience on and off the field to further strengthen MI. As the franchise bids farewell to Rohit’s captaincy era, Jayawardene welcomed Hardik Pandya as the new captain, expressing best wishes for his leadership journey.