On the sidelines of the IPL Auction 2024 in Dubai, here’s Mahela Jayawardene, Mumbai Indians’ Global Head of Cricket, in a chat with broadcaster, JioCinema on Tuesday (December 19). Excerpts ..

On Hardik Pandya, the new MI captain

“Hardik (Pandya) has been in the dressing room for quite some time, so that’s nothing new. We know what he brings in as an all-rounder. It will be something different with his experience of leading the team at Gujarat pretty well, so it is an opportunity to build on that.”

On the captaincy transition at MI

“This is something we have spoken about as a franchise. It is a tough decision, we had to make them. It is emotional, it is tough, to be honest. But everyone who has been part of Mumbai know we cherish every moment a player has contributed, and will contribute going forward. The legacy is something we want to build on and make sure we keep fighting for those wins, those trophies. As a good unit, we have the skillset to do it. That’s the focus going ahead. Probably everyone in their eyes will think it is too soon, but it is a decision we had to make at some point.”

On understanding the fan reactions

“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."

On Rohit Sharma and his role in the team

"Having Ro (Rohit Sharma) in the team, on and off the field to guide the next generation is very important for us. He has been absolutely brilliant. I have worked very closely with Ro. He is a fabulous individual and I am sure he will be part of the legacy who will guide that through. Mumbai have had that in the past too with Sachin (Tendulkar), who played with the youngsters. He gave the leadership to someone else and made sure Mumbai Indians was going in the right direction. It’s the same thing. We had this conversation and everyone is buying into that, so, it’s for us to look forward to the next season.”