Mumbai Indians have rocked the Indian Premier League (IPL) world with their announcement of Hardik Pandya replacing Rohit Sharma as the franchise’s captain. Rohit Sharma has been a loyal servant of the Mumbai Indians, playing for MI since the inaugural IPL season in 2008. He has been the most successful IPL captain till date, lifting the trophy five times. His removal from the helm has stirred a flurry of reactions on social media. From past and present cricketers to IPL fans, all have weighed in on the matter.
While some have backed Hardik to take MI’s mantle forward, a host of others have come out in support of the 36-year-old. Former Mumbai Indians player Dhawal Kulkarni on Saturday posted a cryptic message on his Instagram story, in apparent support of Rohit Sharma.
Dhawal Kulkarni and Rohit Sharma have been friends for a long time, rising together through Mumbai’s ranks. The duo has even shared the dressing room in IPL. Kulkarni played for MI from 2008 to 2013, before coming back for a second stint in 2020-21.
What does Dhawal Kulkarni’s post say?
Kulkarni on Saturday posted a story on Instagram. The story said, ’45’ on the backdrop of the colour Blue. While no explanation was given in the story, Netizens were quick to point out that the number ’45’ is Rohit Sharma’s jersey number in the Indian team and Mumbai Indians. Naturally, it can be assumed that the story is in support of his long-time friend who just lost the MI captaincy.
Kulkarni is not the only one to come out in support of Rohit Sharma. Suryakumar Yadav posted a broken heart emoji on social media earlier, leading to speculation too.
Mumbai Indians have faced the brunt of their fans after removing Rohit Sharma from captaincy. The IPL franchise has lost over 400,000 followers within two hours of making the announcement. The way things are panning out, it will be interesting to see the equation among MI team members once they take the pitch in IPL 2024.
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