Rohit Sharma’s 5 best captaincy moments for Mumbai Indians
It marked the end of an era when Mumbai Indians (MI) decided to move on from Rohit Sharma the captain and appointed Hardik Pandya as his replacement ahead of the IPL 2024. While transition was the reason given, it took nothing away from the fact that Rohit has been arguably the best IPL captain alongside MS Dhoni.
In 10 years, Rohit managed to win a staggering five IPL titles and also a Champions League T20 as MI skipper. The legacy that he has achieved is probably impossible to replicate for any leader of the team.
While there are innumerable glorious moments that Rohit Sharma managed to give to the MI fans, here are five of them that stand out from the rest.
#5 Taking over from Ricky Ponting and helping MI win maiden IPL title
Five seasons had passed by and the closest that MI came to the title was when they reached the IPL 2010 final. They made Ricky Ponting the captain in 2013 but he decided to step down after a few games as he felt his performances as a batter were not up to the mark.
Mumbai then took a decision that revolutionized their entire IPL history. A young Rohit Sharma was entrusted with the job of taking MI to glory and he delivered in that season itself, beating Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the final. However, this wasn't the only time he was going to get the better of MS Dhoni and company.
#4 Counter-attacking Player of the Match performance in the final
Rohit Sharma once again faced off with MS Dhoni a couple of years later for the IPL 2015 final at the Eden Gardens. Mumbai lost Parthiv Patel early for a duck and they needed someone to change the momentum in their favour.
Captain Rohit Sharma raised his hand and smashed a half-century off just 25 balls, giving MI the impetus they needed. They ended up with a massive score of 202/5 and it was just too much for CSK in the end as they lost by 41 runs.
#3 Another final, another captain's knock by Rohit Sharma
Although the Mumbai Indians seemed to be head and shoulders above the rest throughout the IPL 2020 season, they did miss Rohit Sharma for a few games due to injury. Chasing a tricky total of 157 in the final, MI needed a solid start and Rohit ensured Quinton de Kock could express himself from one end.
While Mumbai lost a few wickets, Rohit stood firm at the other end and played a crucial knock of 68 to ensure there were no further hiccups in MI's chase. It was a grand finish to a near-perfect season for MI as Rohit Sharma lifted his fifth trophy as captain.
#2 Last-ball thriller against RPS
Mumbai Indians, interestingly, won two finals by a margin of just one run, which just showed how good Rohit was as a captain in crunch moments. A courageous knock of 47 on a tricky pitch from Krunal Pandya ensured that MI got to a fighting total of 129/8.
While the total seemed below par, Rohit Sharma rotated his bowlers incredibly well and ensured the game went right down to the wire. Washington Sundar was run out on the final ball and that iconic run from Rohit with the cap in his hand is just another moment that is etched in MI folklore.
#1 Trusting Lasith Malinga with the final over against CSK in 2019 final
Lasith Malinga was having an off day as he was expensive in his first three overs in the 2019 IPL final against CSK. However, with nine runs to defend off the final over, Rohit Sharma trusted his main man to get the job done. Remarkably, Malinga was able to nail his yorkers and take the equation down to two runs off the final ball.
A slower yorker completely bamboozled Shardul Thakur as he was trapped in front and MI emerged as the winners of yet another final. Rohit ran towards the dressing room in delight and was understandably ecstatic. His captaincy brilliance and trust helped Mumbai get another one over CSK.