IPL 2024: Hardik Pandya had kept condition of taking captaincy before getting traded to Mumbai Indians – Reports

The recent developments in the Indian Premier League (IPL) have shaken the entire cricket fraternity. On Friday (15th December), Mumbai Indians (MI) made a bombshell announcement and named Hardik Pandya as the new captain of their franchise. 

Hardik Pandya will be replacing Rohit Sharma as captain of Mumbai Indians. But what surprised and shocked many was that five-time champions removed Rohit as a leader. The Indian skipper has been the main reason for the team’s success in the IPL and helped them win five titles. 

Mumbai Indians removing Hardik Pandya as a captain was a shocker for everyone. It made many criticise the franchise and they even lost millions of followers on social media after their move. It’s fair to say that no one would’ve ever thought that Rohit Sharma would be removed like this way. 

Also Read: IPL 2024: No Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indians Captain, Hardik Pandya to lead MI in IPL 2024

However, a new drama has unfolded now. As per the reports in Indian Express, it is learned that before getting traded back to Mumbai Indians, Hardik Pandya made it clear that he will only return if he is given the captaincy of the team. 

The reports also added that Mumbai Indians conveyed to Rohit Sharma before the ICC World Cup 2023 that they would be changing the captain. The senior batter, however, didn’t say anything and agreed to it. The all-rounder was recently traded to Mumbai Indians after leading Gujarat Titans for two years. 

IPL 2024: After Making Hardik Pandya captain of Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals approaches Rohit Sharma 

After Rohit Sharma was removed as captain of the team, Delhi Capitals reportedly wanted to trade the Indian captain for their team. They wanted him as a leader of the team but Mumbai Indians have rejected the offer. 

It remains to be seen what will be the future of Rohit Sharma in the IPL. He arguably will do down as one of the best skippers in the team. He captained the team for 10 long years and won 5 IPL titles along with a Champions League trophy.