Bharat Express

Hardik Pandya

The tournament also marks Pandya's comeback from a 'freak' ankle injury he picked up in the middle of the ODI World Cup in October.

In their inaugural IPL season in 2022, Hardik Pandya led Gujarat Titans to victory, and in the subsequent season, he steered them to the final, where they were defeated by CSK.

In a video shared by the Mumbai Indians official X handle, Pandya was seen entering the MI dressing room and participating in a pooja ceremony alongside head coach Mark Boucher.

Rohit Sharma's wife Ritika Sajdeh made her disappointment public after Mumbai Indians coach justified appointing Hardik Pandya as the captain of the franchise.

In Hardik's absence, Shivam Dube has showcased his potential with noteworthy performances against Afghanistan.

While fielding off his own bowling during the World Cup encounter against Bangladesh in Pune, Pandya hurt his ankle. Prasidh Krishna came on in Pandya's stead.

After the announcement of Hardik's trade, Mumbai Indians declared him as the captain for the upcoming IPL season, replacing long-serving captain Rohit Sharma.

The former India pacer said the franchise will back Shubman Gill irrespective of the results in the next edition of the IPL.

According to Sunil Gavaskar, Hardik Pandya's selection to lead the Mumbai Indians is a wise choice, and Rohit Sharma may just be worn out.

Following the announcement of the change in captaincy, Mumbai Indians shared a sincere post on social media dedicated to Rohit Sharma.