India’s ODI Captain, Rohit Sharma, has won hearts on Friday after a video of him requesting fans to stop cheering for him as “Mumbai Cha Raja” (The King of Mumbai) at a Ganesh Chaturthi pandal went viral.

The Indian cricketer was spotted praying at a pandal in Worli amid the ongoing 10-day-long Ganeshotsav celebrations in Maharashtra.

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Rohit Sharma’s request with folded hands

In a video posted on X, Rohit Sharma is often called Mumbai cha Raja (The King of Mumbai) by fans for his contribution to the IPL team, the Mumbai Indians requested them to stop howling at the Pandal. The video opens with Sharma surrounded by devotees as they chant the famous Mumbai cha Raja slogan. Within seconds, he raises his hand, gesturing humbly for them to stop at the pandal. Towards the end of the video, he folds his hands to urge them again before continuing with his prayers.

The India skipper’s request came as he didn’t want to be the centre of attention at a religious ceremony, and also to show his respect to Lord Ganesha.

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Looking at Sharma’s career

Sharma is a five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) winning captain who recently also led the Indian national cricket team to T20 World Cup victory in 2024 and Champions Trophy glory in 2025. He has scored 19700 international runs for India in 499 international matches, while captaining the team to two trophies.

A significant figure in Indian cricket, Rohit has also captained the Indian side multiple times in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. Known for his explosive batting style, Sharama holds the record most double centuries in ODIs (three) and the highest individual score in the format (264).

Sharma recently retired from Test cricket in May 2025 and T20I cricket in June 2024 after leading India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title. The Indian opener is next expected to appear in the three-match ODI series in Australia, scheduled for October 2025.