Mumbai Indians made a significant announcement on Friday, revealing that Hardik Pandya will lead the team in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. This move is described as part of the franchise's commitment to legacy building and being future-ready, according to Mahela Jayawardene, the team's global head of performance.

The decision marks a transition from Rohit Sharma, who served as captain since 2013, succeeding Ricky Ponting. Under Sharma's leadership, Mumbai Indians secured an impressive five IPL titles. Jayawardene expressed gratitude for Sharma's exceptional leadership and extraordinary tenure.

Hardik Pandya, traded from Gujarat Titans in November, previously played for Mumbai Indians from 2015 to 2021, contributing to the team's success with 92 appearances. Despite being released ahead of the 2022 mega auction, Pandya went on to lead Titans to the IPL final in 2023, where they narrowly lost to the Chennai Super Kings.

However, Pandya's captaincy comes with challenges, as he has been sidelined due to an ankle injury sustained during the ODI World Cup tie against Bangladesh on October 19. His participation in the upcoming T20Is against Afghanistan, the final T20I assignment before the IPL and T20 World Cup in June, remains uncertain.

The replacement of Rohit Sharma triggered a surprising social media response, with Mumbai Indians experiencing a notable decline in followers. On Twitter, the team lost 400,000 followers within an hour of revealing Pandya as the new captain. Similarly, on Instagram, the team witnessed a drop of 1.5 lakh followers. Fans expressed discontent and dissatisfaction on various platforms, voicing their displeasure over the abrupt change in captaincy.

As Mumbai Indians prepare for the IPL 2024 season under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, the reactions from disappointed fans add an unexpected layer of complexity to the team's journey towards securing more IPL titles.

Picture Credit - Cricket Times