In a surprising turn of events, the Mumbai Indians franchise made an announcement on Friday, appointing Hardik Pandya as the team’s new captain, relieving Rohit Sharma of his leadership duties. Rohit, who had successfully guided the team to five Indian Premier League (IPL) titles, has been an integral part of the Mumbai Indians since 2011 and assumed the captaincy in 2013.
The decision to replace Rohit Sharma at the helm took the cricketing community by surprise, especially considering his remarkable track record as the most successful captain in IPL history, sharing the accolade with Chennai Super Kings’ iconic skipper, MS Dhoni.
Interestingly, since the announcement of Hardik’s captaincy, Mumbai Indians has continued to loose followers on Social Media platforms. On Instagram, from 1,32,56,410 as reported on December 14, Mumbai Indians is down to 12,427,904. A dip of staggering 800,000 odd followers.
Amidst the news, a wave of discontent swept through the Mumbai Indians’ fanbase, with many expressing their shock and disappointment on various social media platforms. Fans took to ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) to vent their frustrations, with some going as far as burning flags in protest of the unexpected leadership change.
Read: Rohit Sharma sacked as Captain. Mumbai Indians lose nearly 1 Million Followers
Notable MI batter Suryakumar Yadav subtly conveyed his emotions through a ‘heartbreak’ emoji, adding to the intrigue surrounding the decision. The announcement left fans grappling with mixed emotions, as they grappled with the end of an era led by Rohit Sharma.
On ‘X,’ reactions poured in from fans who voiced their concerns about the unexpected move. One fan expressed, “Rohit Sharma has been synonymous with Mumbai Indians’ success; this decision is truly baffling.” Another user added, “Hardik Pandya is a phenomenal player, but Rohit was the heart of MI. This is a tough pill to swallow.”
Mumbai Betrayed Rohit Sharma?
Well no one except for Mumbai Indians management and Rohit Sharma would know this, but at least this is what the fans think.