After his move from Gujarat Titans, it was widely anticipated that the star India all-rounder could be Rohit Sharma‘s eventual replacement for the captaincy role.
“Renowned all-rounder Hardik Pandya is set to take the helm as the captain of the Mumbai Indians, succeeding its longest-serving, one of the most successful and loved captains, the illustrious Rohit Sharma,” MI said in a statement.
Replacing someone like Sharma, who has guided the team to five IPL triumphs in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020 could be a difficult job. But former Mumbai Indians teammate Martin Guptill believes that the 30-year-old could be a ‘leader’ for them.
On the sidelines of the recently concluded Legends League Cricket (LLC) T20, Guptill had told TimesofIndia.com, “I guess the good thing about Hardik is he’s got youth on his side. Rohit and I are the same age and Rohit’s career, I’m not sure how long he’s going to go. He’s had a fantastic career to date and if they are looking to the future then, Hardik is definitely the one.”
“Hardik was from Mumbai from day one of his career and then has obviously played for Gujarat for the last couple of years. But he’s got a lot of support and stuff in Mumbai. So, he could definitely be a leader for them,” former New Zealand opening batter added.
Hardik led Gujarat to their maiden IPL title in 2022. Prior to his stint with the Gujarat Titans, Hardik had a noteworthy stint with the Mumbai Indians from 2015 to 2021, featuring in 92 matches. His batting statistics for Mumbai Indians include 1,476 runs at an average of 27.33 and an impressive strike rate exceeding 153.
Rohit Sharma sacked as Mumbai Indians Captain? Hardik Pandya named New Captain: IPL 2024
During this period, Hardik secured four half-centuries, with a best score of 91. Hardik also made a significant impact with the ball, taking 42 wickets for the team, boasting a best bowling figure of 3/20.