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Mumbai Indians (MI) has appointed Hardik Pandya as the new captain of the team for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League.

The 30-year-old succeeded Rohit Sharma who led the team since 2013. Mahela Jayawardene, MI's Global Head of Performance said that Pandya's appointment is aligned with the team's philosophy of being "future ready".

"It is part of legacy building and staying true to the MI philosophy of being future-ready," Mahela Jayawardene, Mumbai's global head of performance, said in a statement.

"Mumbai Indians have always been blessed with exceptional leadership right from Sachin [Tendulkar] to Harbhajan [Singh] and Ricky [Ponting] to Rohit, who while contributing to the immediate success have always had an eye on strengthening the team for the future. It is in keeping with this philosophy that Hardik Pandya will assume captaincy of Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2024 season," 

Mahela also lauded Rohit for his exceptional leadership skills during his tenure, which saw MI dominate the cash-rich league with consistent performances.

"We express our gratitude to Rohit Sharma for his exceptional leadership; his tenure as the captain of the Mumbai Indians since 2013 has been nothing short of extraordinary. His leadership has not only brought unparalleled success to the team but has also solidified his place as one of the finest captains in the history of the IPL," he added.