Hardik Pandya demanded captaincy before Mumbai Indians shift: report

As Mumbai Indias draw flak for stripping Rohit Sharma of captaincy, new reports suggest that Hardik Pandya agreed to move out of Gujarat Titans after demanding captaincy in his old team. The Indian Express report further states that Sharma was informed about the change of guard around the start of the 2023 World Cup.

Many Mumbai Indians fans have expressed anger over Sharma’s removal from captaincy, a position he had held for a decade.

Hardik Pandya was on Friday named Mumbai Indians captain in place of a highly successful Rohit Sharma, who led the IPL giants to five trophies.

The announcement from Mumbai Indians comes after Hardik made a return to the franchise last month, following a high-profile trade from Gujarat Titans, whom he led in the past two seasons.

In a statement, Mumbai Indians said the change in leadership was part of their future planning and thanked Rohit for his exemplary service to the franchise.

Commenting on Hardik's appointment, 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.

(With PTI inputs)

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