‘Paisa le doobega ek din’ – Fans react as Hardik Pandya’s captaincy conditions with Mumbai Indians sparks debate on social media

The cricket universe was in shock on Friday, December 15 when the five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Mumbai Indians (MI) announced Hardik Pandya as their new captain replacing Rohit Sharma. Fans were left disappointed as Rohit has led MI to 5 IPL titles, joint-most along with Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Meanwhile, a report from the Indian Express has revealed that Rohit was informed already about Hardik being announced as the new captain for the upcoming season. The reports also said that Hardik himself put up a condition that he would only move to MI if they will appoint him as the captain. Fans have reacted to the reports and many have even called him a selfish player.

Mumbai Indians lost 5 lakh followers after the announcement

On Friday, Mumbai Indians made the announcement on their social media handles and as soon as the fans got to know about it, they lost around 5 lakh followers which is enough to tell how much love and respect the fans have towards Rohit who changed the fortunes of the franchise ever since he stepped up as a captain.

“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.”

Here’s how fans reacted:

https://twitter.com/berlin2okyo/status/1735940110653522011