The Indian Premier League (IPL) has witnessed many successful captains since its inception in 2008. The league has seen the charisma of MS Dhoni with Chennai Super Kings and the aggression of Gautam Gambhir while leading Kolkata Knight Riders. But when it comes to winning titles, Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma is a notch above the rest. Rohit, who began his IPL journey with now-defunct Deccan Chargers, won the trophy in the 2009 season before heading to the Mumbai outfit for US$2 million.
Four franchises were interested in signing Rohit. Royal Challengers Bangalore opted for Saurabh Tiwary instead, Chennai Super Kings went ahead with Murali Vijay while Kolkata Knight Riders found the price tag a bit too high. Mumbai eventually won the battle and the rest they say is history.
Rohit’s captaincy journey with Mumbai Indians started when he was named the leader after former Australia captain Ricky Ponting had stepped down from the position midway through the 2013 season. They finished second in the league stage before beating Chennai in the final. They also won the presently-defunct Champions League Twenty20 in the same season.
Rohit eventually went on to lead Mumbai Indians to IPL title victories in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020, making the outfit the most successful franchise in IPL history. Former Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir also lavished praise on Rohit, saying he was the only captain who used to give him “sleepless nights”.
“As captain, Rohit Sharma is the only player who gave me sleepless nights. Neither Chris Gayle nor AB de Villiers nor anyone else, only Rohit Sharma. He is the player who gave me sleepless nights. There is no more successful cricketer in the history of Indian Premier League (IPL) than Rohit Sharma as captain,” Gambhir, who has been roped in as mentor by Lucknow Super Giants, said during a discussion on Star Sports.
Rohit, who recently replaced Virat Kohli as India’s all-format captain, will be seen leading Mumbai Indians in the upcoming IPL season, which will be held from March 26-May 29. A total of 70 league matches will be played across four international standard venues in Mumbai and Pune.
Mumbai Indians have been bracketed in Group A alongside Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, and Lucknow Super Giants. Group B consist of Chennai Super Kings, Sunrises Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings, and Gujarat Titans.