Natasa Stankovic, Hardik Pandya’s wife, responded after he replaced Rohit Sharma as captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI) club for IPL 2024.
Hardik Pandya was a key member of the Mumbai Indians squad from his IPL debut in 2015 till 2021. However, he was dropped by MI management before of the IPL 2022 major auction, in which they kept Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Kieron Pollard.
Gujarat Titans (GT), one of the new clubs, quickly recruited him and made him captain. The transfer paid off well for GT, as Hardik won the IPL title in his maiden season. They also finished second in the second season.
Mumbai Indians had a disastrous season in the IPL 2022, finishing in last place. In 2023, they improved by making the playoffs. MI startled everyone last month when they brought back Hardik Pandya from GT in an all-cash transaction. They replaced Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as captain for the next season today.
Natasa Stankovic was elated by the development and expressed her reaction by sharing an image on her Instagram story. She wrote:
“Shine my (star emoji).”
“We welcome Hardik Pandya as the new captain of MI”- Mahela Jayawardene
After his term came to an end, Mahela Jayawardene, the Global Head of Performance for the Mumbai Indians, paid appreciation to Rohit Sharma’s outstanding leadership efforts and accomplishments for the team throughout the years. Jayawardene made the following remarks in a MI franchise statement:
“We express our gratitude to Rohit Sharma for his exceptional leadership; his tenure as the captain of the Mumbai Indians since 2013 has been nothing short of extraordinary. His leadership has not only brought unparalleled success to the team but has also solidified his place as one of the finest captains in the history of the IPL.
Mahela Jayawardene
He went on to provide insight into the franchise’s goals and future ambitions, saying:
“Under his guidance, MI became one of the most successful and loved teams ever. We will look forward to his guidance and experience on and off the field to further strengthen MI. We welcome Hardik Pandya as the new captain of MI and wish him all the very best.”
Mahela Jayawardene