Chennai Super Kings are now the most followed IPL franchise on Instagram after Mumbai Indians lost massive followers as their decision to change captain was not received well by the fans.
Mumbai Indians appointed star all-rounder Hardik Pandya as their new captain, replacing Rohit Sharma who has been leading the side since 2013.
Mumbai had the most followers on Instagram but are now second behind their arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings ahead of the upcoming season.
Hardik was brought back to MI from Gujarat Titans for his second stint with the five-time champions through trade and will now lead the team from the IPL 2024.
As of now, Chennai Super Kings are at the top as the IPL franchise in terms of followers with an incredible following of 13.1 million followed by MI at second with 12.7 million.
Mumbai Indians have lost around five lakh followers since the announcement that Rohit Sharma will no longer be the captain of the side.
It is to be noted that Rohit is one of the most loved cricketers in the country and his following was the main reason behind the team's popularity around the world.
The surprising decision from the franchise has sparked a wave of disappointment among supporters, with many expressing their discontent on various platforms.
Rohit took over the MI captaincy in 2013 from Ricky Ponting and went on to lead them to five IPL titles to become the most successful captain in the tournament history alongside CSK skipper MS Dhoni.
Pandya had played for Mumbai from 2015 to 2021 before leaving for Gujarat Titans who bought him in the IPL 2022 mega auction.
He led them to the IPL title in their maiden season followed by a place in the final in 2023 where they lost against Chennai Super Kings.
"It is part of legacy building and staying true to the MI philosophy of being future-ready. Mumbai Indians have always been blessed with exceptional leadership right from Sachin to Harbhajan and Ricky 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," Mahela Jayawardene, Global Head of Performance, Mumbai Indians said.