Mumbai Indians' heartfelt tribute to ex-skipper Rohit Sharma: 'Your legacy will be etched in Blue & Gold'

The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians on Friday named Hardik Pandya their captain for the 2024 edition of the tournament, putting an end to what’s been a month of speculation and rumours. The decision brought an end to a successful era for the Mumbai Indians, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma. During Rohit’s tenure, the franchise won five IPL titles, along with a Champions League T20 trophy in 2013.

Explained: Why MI made Hardik captain for IPL 2024 over Rohit?

Following the announcement, Mumbai Indians penned a heartfelt note for former skipper Rohit Sharma. The five-time IPL champions also shared a video that encapsulated Rohit’s journey as the leader of the side.

“Ro, In 2013 you took over as captain of MI. You asked us to believe. In victories & defeats, you asked us to Smile. 10 years & 6 trophies later, here we are. Our forever captain, your legacy will be etched in Blue and Gold. Thank you, Captain RO,” Mumbai Indians wrote on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

Ro,
In 2013 you took over as captain of MI. You asked us to . In victories & defeats, you asked us to . 10 years & 6 trophies later, here we are. Our , your legacy will be etched in Blue & Gold. Thank you, pic.twitter.com/KDIPCkIVop

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) December 15, 2023

The change in Mumbai Indians’ leadership comes just weeks after the side lured Hardik Pandya away from Gujarat Titans. The Indian all-rounder left Gujarat Titans having led the franchise to a title and a runners-up finish in the last two seasons.

Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, led Mumbai Indians 163 times in the IPL and the Champions League T20. Rohit guided the franchise to 91 victories. Mumbai Indians also featured in five IPL finals under Rohit’s captaincy – in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020 – and emerged victorious in all of those.

“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, Global Head of Performance, Mumbai Indians said.

In international cricket, Rohit led the Indian cricket team to the ODI World Cup 2023 final recently where they lost to Australia.