The entire Indian cricketing spectrum was left stunned as Hardik Pandya replaced Rohit Sharma as the captain of Mumbai Indians franchise. The change in leadership baffled many while some saw the move as in-sync with the franchise’s ambitions. Though the change has only taken place in one IPL franchise, reactions have come in from both current and former cricketers. Yuzvendra Chahal, who is with the Indian team in South Africa for the ODI series, changed his Twitter profile picture in a bid to show his admiration to Rohit.
Chahal’s new profile picture shows him with Rohit in the Indian shirt. Here’s the picture:
New Twitter/X profile picture of Yuzvendra Chahal.
– The bond between Yuzi and Rohit Sharma. pic.twitter.com/GFoT96GOVf
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 18, 2023
Mumbai Indians announced the change in leadership a few days ago, naming Hardik Pandya as the captain for the IPL 2024 campaign after the allr-rounder was traded-in from Gujarat Titans.
“Ro, In 2013 you took over as captain of MI. You asked us to Believe. In victories & defeats, you asked us to Smile. 10 years & 6 trophies later, here we are. Our forever captain, your legacy will be etched in Blue and Gold. Thank you, Captain RO,” MI said in a post.
In the timeless Blue & Gold colours, the heartfelt homage captured the essence of Rohit’s captaincy history and expressed the collective thanks of Mumbai Indians fans. The video acts as a moving tribute to Rohit Sharma’s lasting influence on the squad and the ongoing legacy of his leadership journey, as the torch is passed to Pandya.
“Mumbai Indians today announced a significant leadership transition for the upcoming 2024 season. 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,” MI said in a statement.
In November this year, Pandya moved from Gujarat Titans (GT) to his former franchise Mumbai Indians (MI) after a trade between both franchises. The all-rounder spent two momentous years with GT, spearheading their campaign with aplomb. In GT’s debut season in 2022, Hardik ensured a fairytale start, with the team lifting the coveted trophy, while they finished runners-up in their second season after a last-ball defeat in a thrilling final earlier this year.
Pandya has big shoes to fill as the new skipper of MI, as Rohit has led the franchise to five IPL title wins.
With ANI inputs
Topics mentioned in this article
