The Mumbai Indians surprised everyone by making Hardik Pandya the new captain, replacing Rohit Sharma, who led the team to five IPL championships. The decision sent shockwaves in the cricket community.
Having won five IPL titles from 2013 to 2023 Rohit Sharma was one of the most successful captains in the Indian Premier League. He became an icon for the team, leading in 158 matches with a good win percentage of 56.33%. The decision to replace him not only altered how the team operates but also made fans question why and how this change occurred.
The announcement triggered a negative response from fans, leading to a rapid decline in the team’s Instagram followers, with a reported loss of 400k followers.
Fans Accuse Mumbai Indians of Buying Fake Followers Amid Sudden Decline
Fans expressed their dissatisfaction with the five-time IPL champions’ significant announcement by trending hashtags such as “RIP Mumbai Indians” and “Shame on Mumbai Indians.” Some went to the extent of gaining attention by publicly burning the team’s jerseys.
Removing Rohit Sharma as captain didn’t just affect social media. Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians’ main rivals, gained from this surprising move, now having the most followers on Instagram among IPL teams. CSK’s Instagram followers increased to 13 million, surpassing Mumbai Indians and showing how this decision has impacted the league.
Meanwhile, according to some widely shared screenshots and videos on the internet, it appears that the team has acquired new followers. However, fans are alleging that the franchise is artificially boosting their follower count by buying bots and have provided evidence to support their claims.
Check out some viral Tweets:
Mumbai Indians using bots to increase Instagram followers after humiliation by Rohit Sharma fans 😂 pic.twitter.com/vEwQn1XzOT
— VIVEK. ( MI KI MKC ) (@NotOutVivek) December 17, 2023
Actually Mumbai Indians lost more than 2.5 million followers but they still managed by buying bot followers 🤣.
SNAKE MUMBAI INDIANS pic.twitter.com/e4vAz1Ky6q
— 𝙲𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖓𝖆 𝟒𝟓 🇮🇳 (@LVR_HYPER45) December 17, 2023
