In a big turn of event, five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) have announced Hardik Pandya as their new captain for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Hardik will replace one of the most successful captains of IPL Rohit Sharma as MI skipper. Under Rohit's reign, Paltans won record five IPL titles.
“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," Mahela Jayawardene, MI's Global Head of Performance said in a statement.
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“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,” he added.
"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. We welcome Hardik Pandya as the new captain of MI and wish him all the very best," Jayawardene concluded.
Hardik, recently traded by MI from Gujarat Titans (GT) is set to take over the reins from from Rohit. ‘Hitman’ was captaining MI since 2013, succeeding Ricky Ponting. Hardik played for MI from 2015 to 2021, featuring in 92 matches for the team. Prior to the 2022 mega auction, the Paltans released their star all-rounder, leading to his subsequent signing by the Titans. The 30-year-old went on to lead GT to their maiden IPL title in 2022.
In his IPL career so far, Hardik has participated in 123 matches, amassing 2309 runs at an average of 30.38. He has smashed 10 half centuries with 91 runs being his top performance.
Notably, IPL 2024 auction is slated to take place on December 19, Tuesday at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.
Mumbai Indians' retained players' list:
Akash Madhwal, Arjun Tendulkar, Cameron Green, Dewald Brevis, Ishan Kishan, Jason Behrendorff, Jasprit Bumrah, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, N. Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera, Piyush Chawla, Rohit Sharma, Romario Shepherd (T), Shams Mulani, Surya Kumar Yadav, Tim David, Vishnu Vinod.
Mumbai Indians' available slots- 8, overseas slots- 4
Mumbai Indians' remaining purse: ₹15.25 crore
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