Mumbai Indians names Kieron Pollard as MI Cape Town captain, Nicholas Pooran as skipper for MI Emirates

Following the drama within the Mumbai Indians camp in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which saw Hardik Pandya taking over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma, the franchise has made changes in other teams across different leagues. Kieron Pollard has been appointed as the captain for MI Cape Town in the SA20 league, while Nicholas Pooran will lead MI Emirates in the upcoming season of ILT20.

ALSO READ | MI drama unfolds: Rohit Sharma fans dive into memes as Captain Hardik Pandya to miss IPL 2024 

The decision to name Kieron Pollard as MI Cape Town captain was influenced by Rashid Khan's unavailability as he is recovering from injury. The franchise announced this development on Instagram, extending wishes for Rashid's speedy recovery and expressing hope for his return to the playing field soon.

However, just before the announcement of Kieron Pollard as MI Cape Town captain, the West Indies maestro sparked curiosity on social media with a cryptic post on Instagram. In the post, Pollard touched upon the theme of 'loyalty,' leaving fans speculating about its potential connection to Rohit Sharma's captaincy replacement by Hardik Pandya. His Instagram story stated, "Once the rain is over, an umbrella becomes a burden to everyone. That's how loyalty ends when benefits stop."

Previously, Mumbai Indians' Global Head of Cricket, Mahela Jayawardene, openly acknowledged that the choice to replace Rohit with Hardik was emotionally charged but deemed necessary for the team's future considerations.

ALSO READ | IPL 2024: Rohit Sharma's tribute video backfires as fans unfollow Mumbai Indians' accounts

"It was a tough decision. It was emotional, to be honest. It's fair on the fans as well (to react). I think everyone is emotional and we have to respect that as well. But at the same time, as a franchise, you have to make those decisions," Jayawardene told Jio Cinema.

For MI Emirates, Nicholas Pooran has been declared the captain for the upcoming season of International League T20 (ILT20), as revealed on the team's Instagram story.

The SA20 is scheduled to kick off on January 10, 2024, while the International League T20 will commence on January 19, 2024. The IPL is expected to begin on March 23, 2024, extending until May 29, 2024, making it a significant T20I event leading up to the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2024, set to take place in West Indies and the USA.