Watch: Suryakumar Yadav ‘Heart Break’, Fan Burns MI Cap and Jersy After Rohit Sharma’s Removal From The Captaincy

Mumbai Indians franchise has taken the massive step of replacing Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as captain before the IPL 2024 auction. After this shocking decision, a video that has gone viral on social media shows that a fan burnt the Mumbai Indians cap and jersey in response to the decision taken by the franchise.

On 15 December 2023, Mumbai Indians announced all-rounder Hardik Pandya as their new captain after Gujart Titans traded him back to the old franchise. A day after all the franchises revealed their release and retention players lists, the five-time champions announced the signing of Pandya in a cash deal of INR 15 crores.

Rohit Sharma turned the franchise’s fortunes completely since 2013, lifting them to 5 IPL trophies, the last of which came in 2020. However, the recent World Cup loss might have put a massive dent into the chances of leading in IPL 2024.

Suryakumar Yadav has posted a ‘Broken Heart’ on both his Twitter and Instagram accounts. Fans are clearly connecting it to Rohit’s removal from the captaincy.

💔

— Surya Kumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar) December 16, 2023

Machela Jayawardene Explains the Captaincy Change

MI’s global head of performance, Mahela Jayawardene suggested that it was time for transition, keeping in mind the future and trusting Pandya to be the perfect captain.

“It is part of legacy building and staying true to the MI philosophy of 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.”

Fan outrage on social media

The decision to replace Rohit with Hardik Pandya as captain didn’t go well with many Mumbai Indians fans, who expressed their disappointment and anger on social media. However, one fan took his anger by burning the Mumbai Indians jersey and cap in protest against the leadership change.

A video capturing the fan burning the Mumbai Indian’s jersey has gone viral on the internet, intensifying the controversy about the captaincy replacement. The fan’s extreme reaction highlights the emotional attachment that supporters often develop with their favourite teams and players.

A Rohit Sharma fan burns the Mumbai Indians’ cap. pic.twitter.com/FtlTI20VvY

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 15, 2023

You deserve this @mipaltan 👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/BdMQ06v0pe

— Shreyas_s_p (@Shreyassp11) December 15, 2023