India TV Poll: The Indian Premier League 2024 player auction concluded on Tuesday where ten teams splashed INR 230.45 crore to sign 72 players. Teams shattered all-time records to sign in-demand Australian cricketers Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins with both scorching combined INR 45.25 crore.
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians traded in Hardik Pandya and Romario Shepherd in a trade window and entered an auction with INR 17.75 Crore with eight slots to be filled. As expected Mumbai showed interest in fast bowlers and walked away with overseas stars Gerald Coetzee, Dilshan Madhushanka and Nuwan Thushara.
It seemed a successful event for Mumbai Indians at the auction table as they managed to fill in all the blanks. But fans remained content over the team's decision to remove Rohit Sharma from captaincy and appoint returning Hardik Pandya for the IPL 2024 season.
Many criticized the team's shocking decision to remove veteran Rohit who guided the franchise to record five IPL titles since 2013. However, the team failed to pull out of expectations in the last two seasons and fans also witnessed a noticeable drop in Rohit's form with bat and leadership.
On the other hand, Hardik guided Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in their debut season in 2022 and finished the last edition as runner-up. Hardik's return definitely boosts Mumbai India's middle order but his promotion to captain role has split a fanbase.
So, we at India TV took a poll to understand fans' opinions and have a clear answer to the question 'Is Hardik Pandya replacing Rohit Sharma as captain the right decision taken by MI?'
Over 2000 people reacted to our poll on the website and social media pages with 65% of fans saying 'NO'. Only 31% of fans said that Mumbai's decision to replace Rohit with Hardik was the right decision while 4% couldn't decide.
Is Hardik Pandya replacing Rohit Sharma as captain the right decision taken by MI?
Total Votes - 2125
Yes - 31%
No - 65%
Can't Say - 4%