Watch: Rohit Sharma to reclaim MI captaincy? Akash Ambani's animated exchange sparks speculation

Removing Rohit Sharma from the captaincy so far hasn’t worked for Mumbai Indians at all. The five-time champions have lost both of their games so far in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 under the leadership of Hardik Pandya. 

While they lost their first game against Gujarat Titans by the barest of margins, Mumbai Indians were at the receiving end of the 31-run thrashing at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Wednesday (27th March). Although they fought hard in the second innings but looked clueless in the first innings. 

Mumbai Indians opted to field first and they paid heavily for their poor decision. Sunrisers Hyderabad batters took bowlers to the cleaners right from the start and made sure they outplayed the opposition. The captaincy of Hardik Pandya too didn’t look great. 

The all-rounder didn’t rotate his bowlers properly and also failed to put pressure on the opposition right at the start. The errors were cashed in by Sunrisers Hyderabad batters as they went from the word and there was only one over in which a boundary wasn’t hit. 

Based on the solid batting performance from Travis Head (62), Abhishek Sharma (63), Aiden Markram (42*), and Heinrich Klaasen (80*), Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a gigantic total of 277 runs on board. Under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, Mumbai conceded highest highest-ever total in the history of the league. 

Rohit Sharma (26) along with Ishan Kishan (34) started on a positive note in the chase and made sure that stayed in the hunt. Naman Dhir (30) and Tilak Varma (64) kept the hopes of the fans alive with their 84 runs stand. But after their, wickets things slowed down. 

Hardik Pandya (24) and Tim David (42*) didn’t look at their fluent best as they failed to score runs freely and allowed SRH to take the driver’s seat. Mumbai Indians managed 245 runs and lost the game by a margin of 31 runs to suffer their second straight loss. 

Watch: Akash Ambani haves animated chat with Rohit Sharma after Mumbai’s loss to Hyderabad 

After Mumbai Indians lost their second consecutive game of the IPL 2024, Hardik Pandya’s leadership has come under scrutiny. Fans have started mocking him with Rohit Sharma’s name and there have been calls to give the leadership back to the senior batter. 

Rohit Sharma, notably was removed as the captain of the team ahead of the IPL 2024. It came as a surprise for many because the senior batter made the team the most successful franchise in the tournament. Under his leadership, the team won five titles during the period 2013-2023. 

As Mumbai Indians suffered a disappointing loss against Sunrisers the Hyderabad, owner of the franchise Akash Ambani was seen having an animated chat with Rohit Sharma. The duo were involved in a discussion and made many speculate about the leadership of the team. Here’s the clip: 

pic.twitter.com/CEk3nKAfDS

— ꜱᴀʙʀɪɴᴀ 🦋 (@Rose_princess67) March 27, 2024

Mumbai Indians will be next seen in action when they will take on Rajasthan Royals at Wankhede Stadium on 1st April. They would be keen to get off the mark in the tournament.