'Is Rohit Sharma bigger than IPL?': Twitter unleashes fury as MI skipper goes missing in captains' group picture

Rohit Sharma was a notable absentee as IPL captains posed for a picture with the trophy on the eve of the 2023 season opener.

The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League begins on March 31, as title-holders Gujarat Titans host Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad. Ahead of the season opener, the captains of all franchises assembled at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium – the venue for the curtain-raiser match – for a picture with the IPL trophy. However, there was a notable absentee from the group – the tournament's most successful captain, Mumbai Indians' Rohit Sharma. (IPL 2023 Opening Ceremony Live updates)

Rohit Sharma; captains pose for a picture with IPL 2023 trophy(IPL)

Rohit's MI will open their account in the tournament on Sunday against Royal Challengers Bangalore, but the absence of the five-time champion drew fan attention on social media. The official Twitter account of the IPL shared a couple of pictures of the captains posing with the trophy but many fans had the same question: Where is Rohit Sharma?

While a few called ‘disrespect’ to Rohit as the picture was taken without featuring him, many flooded the social media platform with memes over his absence.

Here's how Twitter reacted to MI captain missing the group picture:

The Mumbai Indians endured their worst season in IPL in 2022, as the side finished at the bottom of the table with four wins in 14 matches. While the side will miss Jasprit Bumrah in the upcoming edition – who continues to remain on sideline with a back injury – England's star speedster Jofra Archer joined the franchise earlier this month to begin preparations for the season.

In addition, MI also bolstered their squad with the signing of Australia all-rounder Cameron Green in the auction last year.

Rohit Sharma will be eyeing at putting a strong performance himself in the upcoming season; in IPL 2022, the opening batter scored 268 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of just 120.18. Moreover, Rohit had failed to register a single 50+ score throughout the competition.

Earlier this week, a report suggested that Rohit Sharma could miss a couple of MI matches due to workload management, and that Suryakumar Yadav could lead the franchise in his absence. However, there has been no official word on the same.