Months after being announced captain of Mumbai Indians for the upcoming Indian Premier League, Hardik Pandya broke his silence on the controversy related to Rohit Sharma's removal from the skipper's position of MI. Signed as a trade from Gujarat Titans, which he opted to join 2 years ago, Hardik returned to MIs.
Hardik, in a press conference organized by the Mumbai Indians, said he isn't expecting anything awkward between him and Rohit.
"It's a surreal feeling to be back. Everything that I have known since 2015 has been through this journey. I never thought I'd reach here, and looking forward to playing at the Wankhede, my favourite ground," NDTV quoted Hardik as saying on his comeback.
On being asked about the captaincy change, Pandya said, "Rohit Sharma is Captain of Team India which helps me, what this team has achieved, was achieved under his leadership and I just carry forward. I played whole career under him and I know he will always have his hand on my shoulder."
Among other things, he even confirmed he will be bowling for MI in the TATA IPL 2024. "I will be bowling. I respect the fans' emotions but I can only control the controllable. I respect them but I will focus on what I can be doing (as captain)," he said.
When asked if he had any chats with Rohit Sharma after being announced as the skipper for Mumbai Indians, Pandya said that no concrete chat has been possible as the Hitman has been traveling.
"I haven't got a lot of time to talk with Rohit because he has been touring. I will definitely catch up when he links up with the team," he said.
Earlier on 15 December, the Mumbai Indians had announced Pandya as the team’s new skipper.
