‘That’s Shocking News’ – Fans react as Hardik Pandya’s set condition was to return only as captain of MI in IPL 2024

The five-time champion Mumbai Indians made to the headlines on Friday as they revealed that Hardik Pandya will be the new captain of the franchise ahead of the IPL 2024. Notably, the news sent massive, shock waves to fans and former cricketers on December 15. Hardik Pandya was brought to MI camp after his successful stint with the Gujarat Titans in the IPL in 2022 and 2023.

However, now the fresh reports claim that Rohit Sharma was already aware of the move made by Hardik Pandya in MI ahead of the ODI World Cup 2023. Meanwhile, according to Indian Express, Hardik Pandya set the condition to move back to Mumbai Indians. The great all-rounder clarified that he will be looking for captaincy with the Mumbai Indians, and if this gets fulfilled, only then he will return to MI camp.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma gets to know about this condition, and he agreed to play under him ahead of the IPL 2024. However, the franchise’s global head of performance, Mahela Jayawardene, revealed the news of Hardik Pandya’s captaincy in the Mumbai Indians camp and thanked Rohit Sharma for his successful leadership from IPL 2013 to IPL 2023.

Hardik Pandya will assume captaincy of MI for IPL 2024 season: Mahela Jayawardene

“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 stated in the press release.

The release furthermore stated, “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.”

Check out how fans have reacted to this news: