Mumbai Indians (MI) have just dropped a bombshell by appointing Hardik Pandya as their new skipper for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season!
The star all-rounder is now the captain, taking over the reins from the legendary Rohit Sharma. And guess what? This wasn’t an average transfer deal; it was a mind-blowing INR 15 crore blockbuster trade that brought Hardik back to his roots with the Mumbai Indians, leaving his stint with the Gujarat Titans behind.
Some die-hard Rohit Sharma fans are not thrilled about this and have even gone to the extent of unfollowing the MI social media handles. The franchise has witnessed a drop of 0.9 million followers since the announcement – that’s from 13.2 million to 12.3 million.Â
Rohit Sharma led MI to a whopping 87 victories in 158 matches, making him one of the most successful captains in IPL history. During his glorious 10-year stint as skipper, he guided MI to the cricketing summit not once, not twice, but FIVE times! That’s right, five IPL trophies proudly sitting in the MI cabinet.Â
Pandya, who took Gujarat Titans to not one, but two consecutive IPL finals in the last two seasons. He even bagged the trophy in the inaugural season.
Rohit has scored 600 runs in 30 matches at an average of 20 since 2022, with just two half-centuries to his name. In IPL 2022, MI finished at the bottom of the table.