5 IPL titles in 10 years of glory: What was the secret behind Rohit Sharma's success as MI captain?

Mumbai Indians ended all speculation surrounding their leadership as they announced all-rounder Hardik Pandya as their captain for the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). This brings to an end Rohit Sharma's tenure at the helm of the team, a period that brought a record-equalling five IPL titles across 10 seasons and gave a launching pad to some of the biggest names in the game today, including Hardik himself.

Rohit took over as MI captain from Ricky Ponting midway through IPL 2013. The team was yet to win an IPL trophy at the time and wasn't particularly high in the pecking order as far as title contenders were concerned. But Rohit ended up leading them to the title that season, beating Chennai Super Kings in the final.

He is the fourth-highest run scorer in IPL history with 6211, out of which 3986 runs have come as captain of MI - across 157 innings at 129.37 SR with 25 fifties. Rohit's tally is the third-highest among IPL captains after Virat Kohli's 4994 runs and MS Dhoni's 4660. However, his legacy as MI's captain will probably set him apart the most in the IPL. Let's take a look at the five titles that MI won under his leadership.

Also Read | CSK use perfect photo with Dhoni after MI replace Rohit with Hardik as captain

1. IPL 2013

Rohit's reign as captain seemed to be a surprisingly last-minute decision, considering the importance that it would gain in the first 15 years of the IPL. In fact, there were quite a few at the time who criticised MI for what they thought was a knee-jerk reaction to their inconsistent form till that point. Ricky Ponting, who had ended his glorious Test career a year earlier, had captained MI to three wins and as many defeats and he stepped down before their seventh match of the season. The announcement of Rohit taking over was made just before the toss. MI lost that match by five wickets but finished second in the table before losing to CSK in the first qualifier by 48 runs. They bounced back by beating Rajasthan Royals by four wickets and then beat CSK in the final by 23 runs, thus clinching their first-ever IPL title in a season where Rohit wasn't even captain for the first four games.

2. IPL 2015

MI got off to a bit of a false start, as they have been known to over the years. They lost their first four matches on the trot and then went on to lose their sixth as well. However, they then went on a run in which they lost just one game for the rest of the season. In the final, they beat CSK once again, this time by 41 runs, and Rohit was awarded player of the match for his 26-ball 50.

3. IPL 2017

MI missed out on the playoffs in 2016 but then roared back the next season. They finished top of the table in the league stage with 10 wins and four losses. They then lost to Rising Pune Supergiant in the first qualifier and then beat KKR in the second. In a thriller of a final, MI batted first and were restricted to a total of 129/8 in Hyderabad. However, their bowlers turned the screws on RPS with Mitchell Johnson taking three wickets and Jasprit Bumrah picking two. MI went on to win the match by just a run and collected their third IPL title.

4. IPL 2019

Once again, MI did not make it to the playoffs in 2018 and responded by finishing top of the table next year. They beat CSK in the first qualifier and then went on to face MS Dhoni's side once again in the final. It was yet another thriller with MI being restricted to 149/8. CSK seemed to be cruising to victory in the first 10 overs, with opener Shane Watson smashing 80 in 59 balls. But MI came roaring in the second half of the CSK innings with Rohit shuffling his cards perfectly and never allowing the opposition to settle down after Suresh Raina's dismissal in the 10th over. Malinga gave away just seven runs in the final over with CSK needing nine off it and MI won their fourth IPL title. This also helped MI go ahead of CSK's record of three titles and become the most successful team in IPL history at the time.

5. IPL 2020

If MI went past CSK's record in the 2019 season, Rohit, next year, would become the only captain to successfully defend a title after MS Dhoni. MI finished top of the table in a season that had been postponed and shifted out of India to the UAE due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They beat the Delhi Capitals in the first qualifier by 57 runs, despite Rohit falling for a golden duck. Rohit then scored 68 off 51 in the final, where they faced DC again and MI won the match by five wickets.