"Rohit Sharma Did Everything For Mumbai Indians" - Aakash Chopra Reacts As Batter's Captaincy Stint Ends

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has hailed Rohit Sharma as a leader who always puts the team before himself. Rohit’s 10-year tenure as the skipper of Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) came to an end after the franchise released an official statement on December 15.

Mumbai Indians announced all-rounder Hardik Pandya as their new captain for the IPL 2024 season. Hardik was traded in from Gujarat Titans (GT) ahead of the auctions and reports were suggesting that he could lead the franchise soon.

Aakash Chopra termed the end of Rohit’s reign as Mumbai Indians captain as the end of an era on his YouTube Channel. “Rohit Sharma was one of the finest captains – 10 years, five trophies. A very successful captain. He understands the pulse of the game and manages the team really well. He always kept the team ahead of himself. Whether it was opening for the side or batting down the order, he did everything for Mumbai Indians that was asked of him,” Chopra said.

Rohit Sharma Won Five IPL Titles As Mumbai Indians’ Skipper

Rohit Sharma took over the captaincy in 2013 and won them their first title in 2013 itself. Subsequently, Rohit led them to the title on four more occasions in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. Along with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Mumbai Indians is the joint most successful team in the IPL with five trophies each.

While analyzing Rohit’s long and successful tenure as the skipper of Mumbai Indians, Aakash Chopra reckons the fact that players want to keep playing under him in the IPL is his greatest legacy as a leader. Players like Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Hardik Pandya himself flourished under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.

“The biggest parameter [to judge a captain is], the players who have played under you, do they want to keep playing more under you. That defines you as a captain and a player. Whoever has played under Rohit has said that he is a very good captain; I want to play under him. He gives me my space. It’s an end of an era. He is one of the modern greats,” Chopra elaborated.

Rohit Sharma is Mumbai Indians’ all-time leading run-getter. In his 203 innings, he has scored 5314 runs at an average of 29.52 and a strike rate of 129.76. He is also the player with the most Player Of the Match award in the IPL. He has got one hundred and 35 fifties to his name. The legacy of Rohit Sharma could not be matched, especially in Mumbai Indians.