One of the most successful captains in the Indian Premier League, Rohit Sharma won five IPL titles between 2013 and 2023. With 158 match wins at a solid 56.33%, he became into a symbol for the team. Fans now question how and why the change occurred, in addition to the fact that the choice to replace him has changed the way the team plays. A rapid fall in the team's Instagram following—an estimated 400k followers were lost—was caused by the unfavorable reaction that the news received from supporters.
Trending hashtags like "RIP Mumbai Indians", "Snake Mumbai Indians" and "Shame on Mumbai Indians" were used by fans to voice their displeasure with the five-time IPL champions' big news. Even burning the team's jerseys in public to garner attention was done by a few.
The impact of Rohit Sharma's removal as captain extended beyond social media. The primary opponent of the Mumbai Indians, the Chennai Super Kings, benefited from this unexpected action and currently lead all IPL teams in Instagram followers. With 13 million Instagram followers, CSK surpassed Mumbai Indians, demonstrating the impact this decision has had on the league.
In the meantime, it seems that the squad has gained new supporters based on a few screenshots and videos that have been extensively circulated online. Fans, however, have claimed—and offered proof—that the brand is purchasing bots to artificially increase the number of their followers.
