Right from the time Hardik Pandya was roped in by Mumbai Indians, there were enough speculations about the captaincy of the five-time champions in the IPL 2024. When the rumours of Hardik Pandya moving back to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans were doing the rounds, former India opener Aakash Chopra made an interesting observation on his YouTube channel. "A rumour is doing the rounds that Hardik is moving towards Mumbai. It has been heard, no confirmation has come. If he is leaving, firstly Gujarat are releasing him - won once and reached the final in next season. If he is leaving, will he be made Mumbai's captain? Why would you go if you are not being made the captain?" said Chopra on his YouTube channel.
Now, the rumours have come true as Mumbai Indians, on Friday, officially confirmed that Hardik Pandya will lead them at the IPL 2024.
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."
Now, a report in the Indian Express has claimed that Hardik Pandya laid down a condition for returning to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans, where he was the skipper for two seasons, and that was he should be made the captain of the five-time IPL champions.
The report further claimed that Mumbai Indians management informed Rohit Sharma about their decision about Mumbai Indians captaincy change during the World Cup 2023. Rohit Sharma agreed to play under Hardik Pandya in the next IPL.
In 31 matches for GT from 2022-23, Pandya scored 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.
Pandya 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).