Mumbai Indian’s ₹100 crore captain Hardik Pandya, receives grand welcome in Jamnagar

New Delhi: The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Mumbai Indians, shocked the world when they announced the Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya as the new captain of the five-time champions team on December 15, 2023.

The move from the Mumbai-based franchise faced a huge backlash from the fans, some of whom unfollowed the team on Instagram and vowed never to support them again.

But, all things aside, Mumbai India decided to stick to their decision and welcomed Hardik as their new captain, replacing Rohit Sharma, after calling it a move for the future.

To new beginnings. Good luck, #CaptainPandya 💙 pic.twitter.com/qRH9ABz1PY

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) December 15, 2023

Notably, despite being named the new captain of such a huge franchise, haven’t made much of a public appearance due to the backlash.

However, in a video going viral on the internet, Pandya is seen receiving a grand welcome while visiting the Jamnagar branch of the Reliance Industries.

In the video, Pandya can be seen being greeted by a horse battalion, which even rallied behind his car later.

This is the first time Pandya has been spotted after becoming the MI skipper earlier this month.

Check out the video below:

A grand welcome of Hardik Pandya in Jamnagar.pic.twitter.com/eZllId7wfb

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 27, 2023

Mahela Jayawardene on captaincy shuffle

After being questioned about the franchise’s decision to sack their most successful captain in IPL history, i.e., Rohit Sharma, and about appointing Hardik Pandya as the new captain, the mentor of the Mumbai Indians’ team, Mahela Jayawardene stated the decision as a move for the future.

Jayawardene, while justifying the decision, stated that the move compliments the franchise’s view of a component of leaving a lasting legacy and upholding the MI principle of being prepared for the future.

Ro,
In 2013 you took over as captain of MI. You asked us to 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞. In victories & defeats, you asked us to 𝘚𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦. 10 years & 6 trophies later, here we are. Our 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧, your legacy will be etched in Blue & Gold. Thank you, 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐎💙 pic.twitter.com/KDIPCkIVop

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) December 15, 2023

The former Sri Lankan cricketer further added that the Mumbai Indians have always been fortunate to have outstanding leadership, from Sachin to Harbhajan and Ricky to Rohit, who all contributed to the club’s success in their own way. Hardik Pandya will lead the Mumbai Indians in the 2024 Indian Premier League in accordance with this concept.

The biggest trade deal

According to various reports, it cost the Mumbai Indians around ₹100 crores, after covering all the ends, for Hardik Pandya’s transfer, making this the most expensive trade deal in the history of cricket.

However, no official confirmation has been made so far on this, so the authenticity of the news is still under suspension. Regardless of it, the move has still managed to send waves around the IPL community, whose answers can only be received once the 17^th season of the tournament kicks off next year.