Hardik Pandya named captain of Mumbai Indians for IPL 2024, Rohit Sharma snubbed

Hardik Pandya has been named the captain of Mumbai Indians for IPL 2024 season. Hardik recently re-joined MI from Gujarat Titans in an all-cash trade and now he will replace Rohit Sharma as the captain of the five-time champions in the Indian Premier League. 

Hardik Pandya had left Mumbai Indians following a successful stint with the franchise from 2015 to 2022. He joined Gujarat Titans as their captain ahead of the IPL 2022 season and led the team to their maiden title in it's first year of participation. He helped Gujarat reach the final in the subsequent season, where they lost to Chennai Super Kings. 

Before the IPL 2024 auction, news emerged of Hardik Pandya wanting to leave Gujarat Titans to go back to his previous franchise. The development shocked the cricketing world as it was the first time a player was traded by a franchise in an all-cash deal. Hardik was welcomed by Mumbai Indians with open arms and just days after his rejoining, he has been named the captain. 

Mumbai Indians named Hardik Pandya as the new captain

Mahela Jayawardene, Mumbai Indians' global head of performance said in a statement that the decision is part of legacy building and staying true to MI philosophy. 

"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. 

“Mumbai Indians have always been blessed with exceptional leadership right from Sachin [Tendulkar] to Harbhajan [Singh] and Ricky [Ponting] 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.”

“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,” Jayawardene said.