'Unfollow Mumbai Indians': Rohit Sharma fans express anger after Hitman replaced by Hardik Pandya as captain

In a shocking development, Hardik Pandya has been named the captain of Mumbai Indians for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. The decision comes after Mumbai Indians reacquired Pandya from Gujarat Titans, marking a significant leadership change as he takes over the role from Rohit Sharma, who has been the team's skipper since the 2013 season.

In a press release on Friday, the franchise’s global head of performance Mahela Jayawardene stated, “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.”

Also read: 'End of an era': Memes explode as Hardik Pandya takes over from Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indians captain

The release furthermore stated, “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.”

In 2013, Mumbai Indians faced a challenging start under the captaincy of Ricky Ponting. Subsequently, the franchise made a pivotal decision to entrust Rohit Sharma with the leadership role. This strategic move proved to be transformative, culminating in Mumbai Indians securing their first-ever league title under Rohit's captaincy. Since that defining moment, Rohit Sharma has continued to guide the team to four more titles, establishing himself as the joint-most successful captain in IPL history alongside MS Dhoni.

After departing from Mumbai Indians a couple of seasons ago, Pandya took the helm at Gujarat and successfully led the new franchise to a title in their inaugural IPL season. In their bid to defend the title this year, Pandya and his team made it to the final once more, only to face defeat against the Chennai Super Kings.

“The feeling of coming back to Mumbai is very special for a lot of reasons. How my cricketing journey started in 2015 with MI, them noticing me in 2013,” Pandya had said on his return to his first IPL franchise. “When I look back, the whole span of 10 years has been something very special. It has not sunk in yet that I’m finally back where my whole cricketing journey started. I have achieved all the possible things.”

Hardik Pandya's return to Mumbai Indians emerged as a standout moment during the player trading window preceding the IPL 2024 auction. In order to make room for the Indian all-rounder, the franchise executed a trade, sending Australia's Cameron Green to Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Following this announcement from Mumbai Indians, several fans of Rohit Sharma took to X and Instagram to express their anger over Hitman's replacement with Hardik Pandya. Some fans even urged others to unfollow Mumbai Indians, while a few blatantly said, "Shame on you Mumbai Indians."

"Rohit Sharma gave them 5 trophies. They don't deserve him. I just wish they never win IPL again," said one irked user on X. Another added, "If you are a true Rohit Sharma fan just unfollow and block this joker franchise."

A third user noted, "You think it's a beginning but it's the end of history. Time will teach about this betrayal. Sorry Rohit Sharma."

Also read: SHOCKING! Not just Hardik Pandya, Gujarat Titans were about to lose Mohammed Shami as well, reveals COO

Here's a look at some of the other reactions by angry Rohit Sharma fans: