IPL: Hardik Pandya takes over as MI captain, franchise loses 400k followers in 1 hour

In a move that sent shockwaves through the cricket world, Mumbai Indians announced the appointment of Hardik Pandya as their new skipper for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. This decision was announced on December 15, when the five-time IPL champions parted ways with their legendary skipper Rohit Sharma.

Mumbai Indians lost 400k followers in just 1 hour. That's the Power of Captain Rohit Sharma 🦁#RohitSharma𓃵 | #MumbaiIndians | #HardikPandya pic.twitter.com/isB0mLyYCo

— Immy|| 🇮🇳 (@TotallyImro45) December 15, 2023

Why did MI lose 4 lakh followers?

The news of Pandya's appointment sent Twitter ablaze, with MI losing 400,000 followers within just an hour. Many fans expressed their disappointment and anger at the decision, feeling that Rohit Sharma, who holds the record for most IPL titles (alongside MS Dhoni), was removed from his position.

Ro,
In 2013 you took over as captain of MI. You asked us to 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞. In victories & defeats, you asked us to 𝘚𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦. 10 years & 6 trophies later, here we are. Our 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧, your legacy will be etched in Blue & Gold. Thank you, 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐎💙 pic.twitter.com/KDIPCkIVop

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) December 15, 2023

The timing of the announcement added fuel to the fire as Rohit Sharma, who recently took a break from cricket following India's heartbreaking loss at the World Cup 2023, was expected to return to lead Mumbai Indians in the upcoming IPL season. 

Why did MI remove Rohit from captaincy?

Earlier on Friday,  Mumbai Indians' management, led by Global Head of Performance Mahela Jayawardene, stated that the change in leadership was a part of their "legacy building" strategy and their commitment to "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," Jayawardene said in a statement.

Hardik Pandya's term as a skipper in Gujarat Titans was remarkable as the 30-year-old led his side to a stunning IPL title in their debut season in 2022. However, the sudden shift from Rohit Sharma has left many fans feeling betrayed. The challenge for Pandya now lies in winning over the hearts of the Mumbai Indians fans so that he can continue the legacy of MI in the absence of their beloved "Hitman."