Majority of the pre-tournament buzz for the Indian Premier League's 2024 season has centred around Rohit Sharma's future with Mumbai Indians, after the franchise snapped up former Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya and made him the new MI captain. (IPL Auction Highlights | Cricket News)
The change in MI's leadership is a significant statement, considering the fact that Rohit Sharma spearheaded the franchise to five IPL titles, and is the joint-most-successful captain in the tournament's history along with Chennai Super Kings' MS Dhoni. In such a scenario, it remains to be seen whether Rohit will stick around with MI as a player or explore his options with other franchises.
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After the IPL 2024 mini-auction in Dubai, the trade window has reopened on December 20, and will stay open for up to a month before the 2024 season begins. That means the window is likely to remain open till February 2024. This gives franchises ample opportunities to try to poach Rohit, if he and MI are so inclined.
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But an incident during the auction might give Rohit and MI's fans some solace. During the auction, a fan reportedly enquired about MI's plans regarding Rohit, and owner Akash Ambani is said to have replied with, "Chinta mat karo, woh batting karega (Do not worry, he will bat)". A video posted by the franchise on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) confirms the incident. You can watch the video below.
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There have been rumours and reports of a rift within the MI team earlier, but the franchise had denied all that ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. "Rohit is not going anywhere, nor will any player," a senior MI official had told Cricbuzz on the sidelines of the mini-auction at the Coca-Cola Arena. "The news reports are totally fake and false. No MI player will be leaving us, nor will be traded by us," the official had added.
