On January 8, 2011, Rohit Sharma was signed by the Mumbai Indians (MI) for a whopping $2 million during the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. Before joining MI, Rohit had represented the Deccan Chargers for the league’s first three seasons. Fast forward 14 years, and Rohit has cemented himself as a legend within the Mumbai Indians franchise.
Taking over the captaincy midway through IPL 2013 from Ricky Ponting, who was struggling with form, Rohit brought instant success. Under his leadership, MI clinched their maiden IPL title that year, defeating their arch-rivals, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), in a memorable final. This victory marked the beginning of a dynasty. Rohit’s MI went on to dominate the IPL, claiming titles in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.
They defeated CSK in the finals twice, in 2015 and 2019, while triumphing over Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017 and Delhi Capitals in 2020. Mumbai Indians became the first team to win five IPL championships, with Rohit becoming the first player to captain his team to five titles.
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MS Dhoni later joined him in this elite club when he led CSK to their fifth IPL trophy in 2023. Rohit’s success as MI captain elevated his status in Indian cricket, eventually earning him the role of full-time captain of the Indian team in February 2022, after often standing in for Virat Kohli.
✅ 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡 years in 𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄 & 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃 ✨#MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians pic.twitter.com/dJoOlaYUVs
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) January 8, 2025
However, ahead of IPL 2024, Rohit was replaced as MI captain by Hardik Pandya after three underwhelming seasons with the bat. Hardik had proven his leadership credentials by guiding Gujarat Titans to back-to-back finals, including a title in 2022. The decision to sack Rohit sparked outrage among fans, who believed the franchise had not adequately acknowledged his immense contributions.
Speculation arose that Rohit was unhappy with the management and might leave MI before the IPL 2025 mega-auction. However, those rumours were dispelled when the franchise retained him for INR 16.30 crore.
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In 217 innings for MI, Rohit has amassed 5,731 runs at an average of 29.69 and a strike rate of 131.05, including 36 half-centuries and two centuries. His highest score, an unbeaten 109 off 60 balls, came against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens in IPL 2012, highlighting his class and consistency.
