Mumbai, (UNI) 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.
This significant leadership transition for the 2024 IPL season was announced by Mumbai Indians on Friday.
“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 (Tendulkar) to Harbhajan (Singh) and Ricky (Ponting) to Rohit (Sharma), 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,” Mumbai Indians Global Head of Performance Mahela Jayawardene said in a statement.
It appears that MI traded Hardik from GT with a clear plan to make him the captain to ensure a smooth transition, which is a heritage of the franchise. They smoothly handed over Tendulkar’s captaincy to Harbhan and then Ponting to Rohit.
Hardik has played for Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans. He appeared for MI in 92 matches from 2015-2021 and scored 1,476 runs at an average of 27.33 at a strike rate of over 153, with four half-centuries and best score of 91. He also took 42 wickets for the team, with the best bowling figures of 3/20.
For GT, Hardik played 31 matches from 2022-23 and scored 833 runs at an average of 37.86, with six half-centuries and a best score of 87 not out. He also has 11 wickets to his credit for GT, with the best figures of 3/17.
Hardik has been involved in five IPL trophies, four with MI and one with GT.
