IPL: Starting with Sachin Tendulkar's decision, Rohit Sharma completes 15 years at MI

MUMBAI: A remarkable journey in the IPL reached a major milestone on Thursday as Rohit Sharma completed 15 years with the Mumbai Indians (MI), a franchise he has led to five IPL titles, building a legacy that will be hard to match and will inspire future generations.

Rohit began his IPL career with Deccan Chargers (2008-10) before joining MI in 2011, a move strongly backed by Sachin Tendulkar, who captained the side then.

“It was Tendulkar's decision that MI must buy Rohit, back in 2011. It happened right in front of me,” Tendulkar’s close friend and former Mumbai seamer Atul Ranade told TOI.

It was on April 10, 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 a match-winning stand with Tendulkar. Reflecting on that phase, Rohit had said, “It was an emotional moment for me to join MI. It was like coming back to my home.”

Rohit’s career with MI took a defining turn in 2013 when he was handed the captaincy mid-season after Ricky Ponting stepped down. The ‘Hitman’ immediately delivered, guiding MI to their maiden IPL title that year and later the Champions League T20 crown.

Between 2013 and 2020, Rohit led MI to five IPL titles, establishing himself as the franchise’s most successful captain. He has 87 wins as captain for MI, the most by any skipper for the franchise, and boasts a perfect 5-0 record 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 appointed India’s white-ball captain in November 2021.

Rohit continued to lead MI until IPL 2023, after which the franchise handed over captaincy to Hardik Pandya. Despite the leadership change, Rohit remains MI’s highest run-scorer, with 5,994 runs in 230 matches, along with the most centuries and Player of the Match awards for the team. In recognition of his contribution, a stand at the Wankhede Stadium was named after him last year.

The veteran 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 crucial phase of his career, his long-standing association with MI remains one of the most iconic player-franchise partnerships in IPL history.