The news of Hardik Pandya being appointed as the captain of Mumbai Indians was received with mixed emotions – some were happy with it, while others weren’t too impressed. The social media handles of the team saw a lot of fans unfollowing the account to express their disappointment. Hardik has, over the years, no doubt performed well for MI and led Gujarat Titans from the front, but there’s no denying the fact that Rohit’s association with Mumbai Indians goes a long way.
Similarly, when it comes to cricket’s biggest festival, another long association is between IPL and Bet India, with the site bringing the fans all the latest happenings from the league.
In this article, we will take a look at the times when Rohit has gone on to help Mumbai Indians win the trophy with his sharp cricketing acumen.
2013: The Dawn of a New Era
Australian great Ricky Ponting was the captain of MI at the start of the season, however, a string of poor individual performances, and two back-to-back losses, against Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils made him decide to drop himself and hand over the captaincy to the 26-year-old Rohit. The move proved beneficial for the side as Mumbai went on to win the next three games on the trot. The team stood second in the league standings. Although they lost Qualifier 1 to Chennai Super Kings, they went on to defeat them by 23 runs in the final. Rohit had not only led the team brilliantly but was also the top scorer for them – he had amassed a total of 538 runs at a healthy strike rate of 131.54. Mumbai won its first-ever IPL title giving a befitting farewell to legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting.
2015: A Testament to Resilience
After having lost five of the first six games and without the services of international players like Corey Anderson and Aaron Finch, MI was on the brink of facing an early exit, but Rohit & Co. had other plans. They came together as a team and went on to win seven of the next eight games to sit comfortably at No. 2 after the league stage. The team once again met CSK in the final – batting first, MI scored a formidable 202/5 owing to important contributions from Lendl Simmons, who scored 68 (45), and Rohit Sharma’s 50* (26). Rohit had a good season with the bat – he had scored an impressive 482 runs with four fifties against his name. The way the team made a comeback in the tournament showcases its fighting spirit and the ability of Rohit to uplift the team’s morale after being down and out.
2017: Mastering the Art of Comebacks
After having lost all three previous games in the season to Rising Pune Supergiant, MI defeated them in the final by the barest of margins (1 run) to clinch their third IPL title. The team had finished at the top of the league table, winning 10 of their 14 games. It was a season where Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Johnson came together as a threatening bowling pair that broke the back of the opposition with some wonderful display of fast bowling. Even the final was a low-scoring affair – MI could manage just 129 in their allotted 20 overs, but Johnson and Bumrah picked up 5 wickets between them and helped MI defend the total. Although Rohit could amass only 333 runs the way he led as a captain, especially when it came to bowling changes, throughout the season proved his mettle.
2019: The Blueprint for Consistency
Another IPL season, another final win by 1 run, and at the receiving end this time was Mumbai’s favourite nemesis – Chennai Super Kings. It was again a season where MI dominated right from the start and registered consistent wins to top the league standings. Unlike the previous winning seasons, they even went on to win Qualifier 1. In the final, they batted first and scored a fighting 149/8. The Mumbai bowlers kept picking wickets at regular intervals to ensure that their team was always in the game. However, it was left to Malinga to bring all his experience to the fore and defend 9 runs off the last over. It was a season in which MI proved their dominance once again. Rohit himself had a good season with the bat, scoring a total of 405 runs.
2020: The Era of Dominance
MI became the first team to win the IPL trophy a record number of five times after defeating Delhi Capitals in the final. They dominated the entire season losing just five matches that included two tied games (one even going for a double super over). It was a season where Mumbai batters like Surya Kumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan came into their own. Despite missing a few games due to a hamstring injury, Rohit still managed to score 332 runs in the season. He even played a captain’s knock in the final scoring 68 off just 51 balls and helped MI chase down the target of 157. After CSK, Mumbai also became the second team to win two consecutive IPL titles.
Now that the baton has been passed from Rohit to Hardik, it’ll be interesting to see if the young all-rounder from Baroda can live up to the expectations.
