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IPL 2024 Cricket

'Rohit ki jagah koi nahi le sakta' - Fans react as Mumbai Indians announce Hardik Pandya as new captain ahead of IPL 2024

Pandya, who has represented MI for many years, played for Gujarat Titans (GT) in the last two editions.

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Mathew K
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Hardik Pandya (Source: Twitter)

Hardik Pandya (Source: Twitter)

Mumbai Indians (MI) all-rounder Hardik Pandya has once again created a massive stir in the cricket fraternity. The five-time champions on Friday (December 15) gave a shocker to their millions of fans by announcing Pandya as their new captain ahead of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). He will take over from Rohit Sharma, one of the most successful captains in league history who has served as their leader since 2013. 

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"Renowned all-rounder Hardik Pandya is set to take the helm as the captain of the Mumbai Indians, succeeding its longest-serving, one of the most successful and loved captains the illustrious Rohit Sharma," the franchise wrote on its Instagram page. 

Pandya, who has represented MI for many years, played for Gujarat Titans (GT) in the last two editions. He was given the captaincy in their inaugural season (2022) and stunned everyone by leading them to glory. In the next edition, he led the team to the finals but lost to MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings (CSK). 

MI brought him back in a record-breaking trade, a day after the deadline to announce the player retention list ahead of the IPL 2024 mini-auction. Speculations were rife that this move was to replace Rohit from the leadership role. However, four days before the auction, the Mumbai-based franchise dropped the massive update. 

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It is part of legacy building: Mahela Jayawardene

Commenting on this captaincy transition, MI's Global Head of Performance, Mahela Jayawardene said it is a part of legacy building. The former Sri Lanka cricketer also expressed gratitude to Rohit on behalf of the team for his "exceptional leadership".

“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."

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"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. 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 to further strengthen MI.
We welcome Hardik Pandya as the new captain of MI and wish him all the very best," he added. 

Here's how fans reacted to Mumbai Indians announcing Hardik Pandya as the new captain:

Rohit Sharma Hardik Pandya featured MI