Amid backlash regarding the change of guard by Mumbai Indians, skipper Hardik Pandya and his predecessor Rohit Sharma met and hugged each other during the team's practice session at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday, March 20.
Mumbai Indians pulled off a big surprise by replacing Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya ahead of IPL 2024. The announcement came just few weeks after the all-rounder was traded to five-time IPL champions by Gujarat Titans, with whom he won maiden title as a captain in their debut season.
Since then, Mumbai Indians have been at the receiving end of the fans who questioned the franchise for removing Rohit from leadership duties despite leading the team to record five titles. Also, there has been debate surrounding the camaraderie between players following the change of captaincy, especially concerning Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma.
Hardik and Rohit put end to rumours of their rift
In a viral video shared by Mumbai Indians on its Instagram handle, Hardik Pandya can be seen walking towards Rohit Sharma and hugged him in a friendly. Then, the duo had a fun chat during the team's training session in Mumbai.
Rohit Sharma took over the captaincy reins of Mumbai Indians from Ricky Ponting in midway IPL 2013 and captained the team to their maiden title of the tournament. Since, Rohit led MI to four more titles in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. The 36-year-old is the only winning captain of Mumbai Indians and the joint-most successful skipper along CSK captain MS Dhoni in the history of IPL.
Talking about Hardik Pandya, the star all-rounder joined Mumbai Indians as 21-year-old and went on to become an asset to the team. He played a vital role in helping the Mumbai-based team win four titles in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. Hardik played seven IPL seasons under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma at MI before joining Gujarat Titans as skipper in 2022.
Mumbai Indians to begin their title quest against Gujarat Titans
Mumbai Indians will begin their campaign under the new leadership of Hardik Pandya against Gujarat Titans at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 24, Sunday.
Hardik Pandya will be playing against the team with whom he reached two consecutive IPL Finals as a captain. In IPL 2023, Gujarat Titans lost to the 5th time champions Chennai Super Kings in a rain-marred final over thriller. In just two seasons, Gujarat Titans have established themselves as strong contenders in IPL.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians haven't won an IPL title in the last three seasons. In IPL 2023, Rohit Sharma-led side reached playoffs but lost to Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2.
Mumbai Indians will look to redeem themselves under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya to regain their lost glory.
