Hardik Pandya has been named as the new captain of Mumbai Indians ahead of the IPL 2024 Auction.
Pandya has replaced Rohit Sharma for the role who took over the captaincy role in 2013 and led the team to five titles.
Pandya started playing for Mumbai Indians in 2015 and remained a key part of the team till 2021, helping them lift multiple titles.
Pandya then joined the new franchise Gujarat Titans after he was bought by them in the IPL 2022 mega auction and was appointed as the captain of the side.
He capitalised on the massive role and led the team to the IPL title in their maiden season, followed by a place in the final in IPL 2023.
Ahead of the IPL 2024 Auction, Pandya was bought back by Mumbai Indians through trade and will lead the side in the upcoming IPL 2024 season.
In a press release on Friday, the franchise’s global head of performance Mahela Jayawardene stated, "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."
The release furthermore stated, "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 history of the IPL."
Rohit joined Indians in 2011 and took over the leadership role from Ricky Ponting in 2012 as he went on to help them win the IPL titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020.
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He also is regarded as the most successful captain in the history of the league alongside Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni.
Rohit's IPL results helped him become the captain of the Indian team across formats as his ability to remain calm in crunch situations and groom young players in the setup received a positive response.