Cricket fans wondered if RCB’s latest apparel campaign, “LOYALTY is ROYALTY,” was a subliminal jab at Hardik Pandya and the Mumbai Indians. When the Mumbai Indians of the Indian Premier League appointed Hardik Pandya to be the team’s new captain, many were taken aback. With this appointment, Rohit Sharma’s illustrious ten-year captaincy career came to an end, having guided MI to five IPL championships.
Fans criticised and reacted angrily to the announcement, labelling MI’s choice as “betrayal.” IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore revealed their new apparel line, “LOYALTY is ROYALTY,” which will launch in 2024, amidst the turmoil on social media. Their caption read, “LOYALTY is ROYALTY” – 2024 #RCBXPuma Athleisure Collection – Dropping Soon”
Loyalty is Royalty by RCB.
– 3 icons of RCB….!!! pic.twitter.com/kiRRb5dgbd
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 16, 2023
Hardik Pandya just departed the Gujarat Titans (GT) after an incredibly successful two-year run as both captain and player to return to the MI setup. MI recently dismissed Rohit of his captaincy role, despite the fact that he is still one of the most accomplished captains in IPL history.
In order to regain Pandya’s services, the Mumbai franchise created headlines with a much-publicised deal from Titans valued INR 15 crores in addition to an undisclosed transfer fee. To make sure that they possess the funds to complete the Pandya transfer without incident, the team even released some of their prior high-ball offers, including those for Cameron Green as well as Jofra Archer.
Hardik Pandya set to lead!
There were reports about whether the two sides were having private talks about the Indian cricket player replacing the 36-year-old Rohit. This is because the opener is nearing the conclusion of his remarkable career and might look to retire sooner rather than later.
As events would have it, MI surprised its supporters on Friday night (December 15) by switching out Rohit Sharma for Pandya. The decision has drawn harsh criticism from Rohit’s ardent fan base, but there is support from another quarter that believes the club can reach new heights with Pandya and is receptive to the idea.
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