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Hardik Pandya's Heartfelt Tribute to Rohit Sharma's 15-Year MI Legacy

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya publicly congratulated former skipper Rohit Sharma for completing 15 years with the franchise. In an emotional dressing room speech, Pandya thanked Rohit for his leadership and for inspiring many players who debuted under him, including Jasprit Bumrah. Rohit Sharma, who joined MI in 2011 after a stint with Deccan Chargers, led the team to five IPL titles between 2013 and 2020. In his own message, Rohit expressed gratitude to teammates, staff, and management, emphasizing that the team's success was a collective achievement.

Key Points: Hardik Pandya Thanks Rohit Sharma for 15 Inspiring Years at MI

  • Rohit Sharma completes 15 years with Mumbai Indians
  • Hardik Pandya delivers heartfelt dressing room speech
  • Rohit led MI to five IPL titles from 2013-2020
  • Acknowledges collective effort behind team's success
  • Transfer to MI in 2011 backed by Sachin Tendulkar
2 min read

IPL 2026: Hardik congratulates Rohit on completing 15 years with MI, thanks him for 'inspiring' the cricketers

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya congratulates Rohit Sharma on 15 years with MI, thanking him for his leadership and inspiration in an emotional speech.

"Thank you for inspiring so many people who have come to play for this franchise, at the same point of time for India. - Hardik Pandya"

New Delhi, April 11

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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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
As a die-hard MI fan since 2013, this hits right in the feels. Hitman's journey from a young talent to the most successful IPL captain ever is legendary. Hope he gets a proper farewell season whenever he decides to hang up his boots.
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Aman W
Respect to Hardik for this gesture. It must not have been easy taking over the captaincy from a legend. Shows good leadership from him as well. The team culture at MI seems really strong.
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Sarah B
It's fascinating to see how franchises like MI build long-term legacies. 15 years with one team in a league like the IPL is incredible. Rohit's humility in crediting the entire team is a lesson for all sports.
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Vikram M
While the sentiment is nice, let's not forget the awkward transition last year. The fans were not happy. This feels a bit like managing PR. True respect would be shown on the field by performing consistently as a team.
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Nisha Z
Sachin spotting the talent in Rohit and bringing him to MI... that itself is a historic moment! Two legends of Indian cricket. What a journey it has been. Feeling nostalgic about the 2011 debut now. 💙

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