New Delhi, April 11 (IANS) Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya congratulated the team’s former skipper Rohit Sharma on completing 15 years with the franchise and delivered a heartfelt speech in the dressing room, expressing his gratitude to the veteran and thanking him for inspiring several MI players.

Rohit started his IPL journey with Deccan Chargers from 2008 to 10 before moving to MI in 2011, a transfer strongly supported by Sachin Tendulkar, who was the captain then. Rohit made his MI debut on April 10, 2011, against Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) at the Feroz Shah Kotla (now Arun Jaitley Stadium), scoring an unbeaten 27 runs in a dominant eight-wicket victory, sharing a match-winning partnership with Tendulkar.

The rest is history. From 2013 to 2020, Rohit led MI to five IPL titles, cementing his reputation as the franchise’s most successful captain.

“Ro, congrats for 15 years! Thank you for leading the way you have led for so many years for this franchise. I made my debut, Boom (Bumrah) did, so many of us, we have made our debuts under you. Thank you for inspiring so many people who have come to play for this franchise, at the same point of time for India. You have been amazing and fantastic as a human. You have been so friendly and open. You have led from the front, so many many congrats and thank you for the way you have led for so many years,” Pandya said in a video shared by Mumbai Indians across social media.

Marking 15 years with the Mumbai Indians at the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rohit expressed heartfelt gratitude to teammates, support staff and the franchise management, crediting the team environment for shaping his leadership journey in another video posted by the franchise. He acknowledged the collective effort behind the team’s success and the personal milestones he achieved during his long stint.

The former India skipper emphasised that the achievements were a result of a collective unit rather than individual brilliance and underlined how the backing from the franchise and its stakeholders played a pivotal role in his evolution both as a captain and as an individual. He also extended his gratitude to the franchise ownership, acknowledging their role in backing him during crucial phases of his career.

–IANS

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