Mumbai: Mumbai Indians on Friday announced all-rounder Hardik Pandya as the captain of the Mumbai Indians replacing five-time champion skipper Rohit Sharma.
Hardik Pandya recently returned to his former franchise Mumbai Indians in an all-cash deal with Gujrat Titans (GT) last month. Pandya also showed huge interest in joining the previous team ahead of the auctions as a result Gujrat Titans allowed him to go as per the rules of IPL.
-
To new beginnings. Good luck, #CaptainPandya 💙 pic.twitter.com/qRH9ABz1PY
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) December 15, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">To new beginnings. Good luck, #CaptainPandya 💙 pic.twitter.com/qRH9ABz1PY
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) December 15, 2023To new beginnings. Good luck, #CaptainPandya 💙 pic.twitter.com/qRH9ABz1PY
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) December 15, 2023
Commenting on this transition Mahela Jayawardene, Global Head of Performance, Mumbai Indians said, “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 to Harbhajan and Ricky 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."
"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", Jayawardene added.
"We welcome Hardik Pandya as the new captain of MI and wish him all the very best," Global Head of Performance of Mumbai Indians remarked.
Rohit Sharma took over the MI captaincy in IPL 2013, leading the franchise to its maiden title win and then he never looked back. He helped the franchise to win the trophy for a record five times, joint most with Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni, who led his team's fifth trophy in IPL 2023. Overall, he led in 158 matches, winning 89 and losing 68.
However, In 31 matches for GT from 2022-23, Hardik Pandya amassed 833 runs at an average of 37.86 and a strike rate of over 133, with six half-centuries and a best score of 87*. He also had 11 wickets for the team, with the best figures of 3/17.
The 30-year-old also played 92 matches for MI from 2015-2021, scoring 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. Pandya has won five IPL trophies, four with MI (2015, 2017, 2019, 2020) and GT (2022).
Also read
