Akash Ambani gives cheeky reply to MI fan shouting 'Rohit Sharma ko wapas lao' at IPL 2024 auction

Ever since Mumbai Indians announced the shocking decision of appointing Hardik Pandya as their new captain, the MI community has been divided. The India all-rounder returned to his former franchise from Gujarat Titans (GT) in a massive all-cash trade deal but has reportedly demanded the same role he has been playing since the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. 

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The replacement of Rohit Sharma, who changed the fortunes of the Mumbai-based franchise since joining them in 2013, did not sit well with the fans. Rohit took over the captaincy from the legendary Ricky Ponting and won them five trophies in 10 seasons. Pandya, meanwhile, led GT to glory in their inaugural season (2022 IPL) and to the final in the 2023 edition. 

This surprising step to remove Rohit from the leadership role has given the franchise a huge backlash on social media. Its impact was also seen in the IPL 2024 mini-auction held at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on Tuesday. During a commercial break, an MI fan from the crowd shouted at Akash, son of franchise owner Mukesh Ambani, who was sitting at his auction table.

In a video posted by the franchise on their X handle, a fan can be heard saying 'Rohit Sharma ko wapas lao' (Bring Rohit back as captain). Akash replied: 'Chinta mat karo. Woh batting karega' (Don't worry, he will bat). 

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𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘢𝘳𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘩 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢 💙#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/fNWLiWpgJS

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) December 19, 2023

Will Rohit Sharma move to any other franchise before the 2024 season?

The mini-auction ended successfully with all ten franchises spending a combined total of Rs 230.45 crore to sign as many as 72 players. Mitchell Starc scripted history by becoming the most expensive player (24.75 crores) in the history of IPL. MI fared well in the auction as they acquired South Africa pacer Gerald Coetzee and Sri Lanka quick Dilshan Madushanka in steal deals.  

Meanwhile, the IPL trading window has reopened up to a month before the 2024 season. This means franchises have enough time to work out a deal for Rohit Sharma, if the veteran opener and MI are inclined.