The Mumbai Indians on Friday appointed star all-rounder Hardik Pandya to lead in next year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) season, replacing all-format India captain Rohit Sharma, who led the franchise to five title wins.
Pandya, 30, returned to his former franchise Mumbai only last month in a high-profile trade after a successful two-year stint with the Gujarat Titans.
The Mumbai Indians said the change in leadership was a part of their planning and thanked Rohit, the joint-most-successful captain in the tournament’s history alongside the Chennai Super Kings’ M.S. Dhoni.
Photo: Reuters
“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. “It is in keeping with this philosophy that Hardik Pandya will assume captaincy of Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2024 season.”
Jayawardene expressed gratitude to Rohit, 36, for his “exceptional leadership” since taking the reins in 2013.
“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,” he said.
Rohit led Mumbai 163 times in the IPL and the Champions League T20, winning 91 games, drawing four and losing 68.
However, the past three seasons have been a disappointment for the franchise. They failed to make the playoffs in 2021 and last year, and departed in the knockout stages this year with a loss to the Titans in the second qualifier.
Rohit is India’s all-format captain, but has not played a T20 international since their semi-final defeat at the T20 World Cup in Australia last year.
Pandya has led India in 13 of their past 25 T20Is.
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