Pandya, not Rohit, to lead MI in 2024

Mumbai, December 15

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Hardik Pandya will replace Rohit Sharma as the captain of the Mumbai Indians in 2024, the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise said today after re-signing the all-rounder only last month.

Pandya, who helped Mumbai to four IPL titles between 2015-2021, led the Gujarat Titans to the title in their debut season in 2022 and was also captain of the squad that finished runners-up to Chennai Super Kings this year.

But the 30-year-old expressed his desire to return to his original team, which put an additional Rs 15 crore in Gujarat’s coffers ahead of the IPL auction on Tuesday.

“It is part of legacy building and staying true to the MI philosophy of being future-ready,” Mumbai’s global head of performance Mahela Jayawardene 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.” — Reuters