MI owner Nita Ambani RESPONDS to fan's request of reinstating Rohit Sharma as captain (WATCH)
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Synopsis
During a visit to Shirdi, MI owner Nita Ambani responded to a fan's request to reinstate Rohit Sharma as captain, as the five-time IPL champions have had a shaky start to their IPL 2025 campaign, winning just two matches in their six outings and are currently sitting at the 7th spot with four points.
Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise owner Nita Ambani responded to a fan’s request of bringing back Rohit Sharma as the captain of the team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) during her visit to Shirdi on Sunday, April 13.
Mumbai Indians are enduring a tough IPL 2025 under the leadership of Hardik Pandya. The five-time IPL champions had a poor start to the season with two successive losses against Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans before making a comeback with a win over the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders. Thereafter, MI suffered three defeats on the trot at the hands of Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru before bouncing back again to defeat Delhi Capitals.
With two wins and four defeats, Mumbai Indians are currently at the seventh spot on the points table with four points and have a net run rate (NRR) of +0.104. MI need to win at least six matches in their next 8 outings in order to have realistic chances of qualifying for the playoffs.
Also read: IPL 2025: 5 things that could help MI star Rohit Sharma return to his vintage form
Fan makes request to MI owner
Looking at the current situation of the Mumbai Indians in the ongoing IPL 2025, where qualifying for the playoffs look like an uphill battle, a fan was spotted making a request to the franchise owner Nita Ambani to bring back Rohit Sharma as the captain of the side for the remaining season.
In a video that went viral on social media, Nita Ambani was seen exiting the Shirdi shrine when a fan approached her with folded hands and requested her to bring back Rohit as a captain. In response, Nita said it is all up to God.
Fan: Rohit Sharma ko captain banao (Make Rohit Sharma the captain),
Nita Ambati: Baba ki marzi (leave it to God)
Ahead of the IPL 2024, Rohit Sharma was surprisingly sacked from the captaincy duties by the Mumbai Indians management, who replaced him with Hardik Pandya after trading him from Gujarat Titans, where he led the side to two successive IPL finals. The MI’s decision was not welcomed by the fans who questioned the rationale behind the removal of Rohit Sharma as a captain despite leading the side to five IPL titles.
Rohit Sharma is the joint-most successful captain in the history of IPL, alongside CSK skipper MS Dhoni. Additionally, he is the second-most successful IPL captain in terms of number of wins, with 87 victories in 158 matches. Despite being sacked from captaincy duties, Rohit continues to play for Mumbai Indians as he was retained by the franchise for INR 16.30 ahead of IPL 2025.
Rohit Sharma yet to find his rhythm in IPL 2025
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma has been struggling with his form in the ongoing IPL season. In five matches, the veteran MI opener could score only 56 runs at 11.20. Despite getting off a good start, Rohit eventually fell before scoring 20 runs. Though he is no longer captain of Mumbai Indians, the 37-year-old still struggles to make an impact in the IPL 2025.
Additionally, Rohit Sharma has been averaging only 24.39 in IPL since 2023, the second lowest for an opener after Wriddhiman Saha, averaging 20.28 with 507 runs. Rohit has often been used as an impact substitute in the ongoing IPL season, only coming out to bat.
Rohit Sharma will look to get back to his form when Mumbai Indians take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, April 17.