 "Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya and former skipper Rohit Sharma at a training session ahead of the 17th season of the Indian Premier League. Image credit: Mumbai Indians")
Mumbai Indians are set for a change in leadership for the first time in a decade with Hardik Pandya taking over the reins of the five-time champions from Mumbai Indians following his high-profile trade to his old franchise from Gujarat Titans.
Among the things fans and experts are looking forward to in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) is whether Pandya is achieve the same success as captain in MI as he did with GT, whom he led to back-to-back finals including the title on debut in 2022. There’s also a question of Rohit’s new role in the setup now that his decade-long reign as skipper, in which he helped the franchise win five titles, has officially come to an end.
Season Preview | MI target title with Hardik Pandya back, this time as leader
On the eve of their opening match of the 17th season, against Pandya’s old team GT in Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, middle-order batter N Tilak Varma said there wasn’t much of a difference in the Mumbai Indians camp since the all-rounder took over as captain. Varma also added that both Pandya and Rohit are always available for the players.
“Rohit has been there for us and Hardik bhai has also been there for us. It’s been the same, just following the basics. Stategy-wise, everything going well. It’s the same thing, nothing new.
“I debuted under him (Hardik) when I played for India, so it’s going well. Hardik is the captain, Rohit is always there for Hardik and the team. We gel well together as a team,” Varma, who made his IPL debut with MI in 2022, told reporters in a press conference of the eve of their match against GT.
Preview | Pandya begins high-profile MI captaincy stint against former side GT
Varma also spoke about his role in the team and how it has evolved now that he enters his third season in the IPL and is also capped at the international level. The 21-year-old Hyderabad native, who is also useful with his off-spin besides his ability as a batter, made his India debut during the tour of West Indies last year and was also part of the gold medal-winning Indian team at the Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“Last year was a good season, but now, as a senior player and having played for India, I have a slightly bigger responsibility to play mature innings. As I have said previously, I always want to finish games, and I have good knowledge and experience of it when playing for India, so I am looking forward to using it now,” Varma added.
Mumbai Indians face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their next outing on Wednesday after their meeting with GT. They play their first home match at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday, 1 April against Rajasthan Royals.