MUMBAI: A remarkable IPL journey reached a major milestone on Thursday as Rohit Sharma completed 15 years with Mumbai Indians (MI), the franchise he led to five IPL titles, building a legacy that will be hard to match and inspire generations to come.Rohit started his IPL career with Deccan Chargers (2008-10) before joining MI in 2011, a move strongly supported by Sachin Tendulkar, who was leading the side then. “It was Tendulkar’s decision that MI had to buy Rohit in 2011. It happened right in front of me,” Tendulkar’s close friend and former Mumbai seamer Atul Ranade told TOI.
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‘We lost momentum’ – Mahela on MI defeat and key mistakesIt was on 10 April 2011 that Rohit made his MI debut against Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) at the Feroz Shah Kotla. He scored an unbeaten 27 in a comfortable eight-wicket win, sharing the wicket with Tendulkar. Reflecting on this phase, Rohit said, “It was an emotional moment for me to join MI. It was like coming home.”Rohit’s MI career took a definitive turn in 2013 when he was handed the captaincy mid-season after Ricky Ponting stepped down. The ‘Hitman’ emerged instantly and led MI to their first IPL title that year and later the Champions League T20 crown.Between 2013 and 2020, Rohit led MI to five IPL titles and established himself as the franchise’s most successful captain. He has 87 wins as captain for MI, the most by any captain in the franchise, and boasts a perfect record of 5-0 in IPL finals. He also became the first MI captain to win back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020. His success at the franchise level played a key role in him being named India’s white-ball captain in November 2021.Rohit continued to lead MI until IPL 2023, after which the franchise handed over the captaincy to Hardik Pandya. Despite the change in leadership, Rohit remains MI’s highest run-scorer with 5,994 runs in 230 matches, along with the most man-of-the-match awards and accolades for the team. In recognition of his contribution, a stand at the Wankhede Stadium was named after him last year.The seasoned opener started IPL 2026 strongly, scoring 78 against Kolkata Knight Riders, followed by 35 against Delhi Capitals. With 118 runs in three matches so far, he continues to contribute significantly.As Rohit enters a pivotal phase of his career, his long association with MI remains one of the most iconic player-franchise partnerships in IPL history.
