Mumbai Indians made a bold move ahead of IPL 2024, bringing back Hardik Pandya from Gujarat Titans and appointing him as the captain, replacing Rohit Sharma. This decision left Rohit Sharma fans and MI faithful disheartened, feeling Rohit had been disrespected. Hardik Pandya faced significant backlash, evident even in the first match against Gujarat Titans. He was booed and jeered by Rohit Sharma fans in the Ahmedabad crowd. It underscored Rohit Sharma’s cult figure status for Mumbai Indians. Unfortunately, Mumbai Indians lost the match from a winning position during the chase.
Now, in their second match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad, it marked Rohit Sharma’s 200th IPL appearance for Mumbai Indians. Hardik Pandya won the toss and opted to field first, unaware of the onslaught awaiting his team. Travis Head unleashed his destructive form, scoring 62 runs off 24 balls. Abhishek Sharma complemented him with 63 runs off 23 balls, including 3 fours and 7 sixes, at a remarkable strike rate of 273.91. Markram contributed 42 runs off 28 balls, while Heinrich Klaasen hammered 80 runs off 34 balls.
Fans Wonder Of Captaincy Change After Akash Ambani Was Seen In A Deep Chat With Rohit Sharma
Sunrisers Hyderabad set a daunting target of 277 runs, the highest in IPL history, surpassing the previous record set by RCB in 2013. In response, Mumbai Indians launched a fierce chase, finishing with 246 runs for the loss of 5 wickets. Despite commendable efforts, they fell short by 31 runs. Rohit Sharma scored 26 runs off 12 balls, Ishan Kishan scored 34 runs off 13 balls, Naman Dhir added 30 runs off 14 balls, Tilak Varma contributed 64 off 34 balls, while Tim David amassed 42 runs off 22 balls. However, Hardik Pandya failed to make an impact with the bat, scoring 24 runs off 20 balls. He was booed and jeered yet again.
As the match concluded, cameras captured owner Akash Ambani engaged in an animated chat with Rohit Sharma. Fans are buzzing and trolling, suggesting that captaincy might be returned to Rohit. As the cameras zoomed in on the conversation between owner Akash Ambani and Rohit Sharma post-match, speculation heightened among fans. Many took to social media, pondering and trolling about the possibility of Rohit reclaiming the captaincy.
