Rohit Sharma is often called Mumbai cha Raja (The King of Mumbai) by his fans in the city for his contribution towards Indian cricket and the Mumbai Indians.
Sharma is a five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) winning captain and also led the Indian national cricket team to T20 World Cup victory in 2024 and Champions Trophy glory in 2025. Adding to his achievements on the field, his down to earth personality off the field makes him a fan favourite.
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However, when it came to his visit to a Ganesh pandal during the 2025 Ganeshotsav, the Indian ODI captain won the hearts by making sure that he was not the centre of attention at the religious event.
Rohit wins hearts by stopping Mumbai cha Raja chants at Ganesh pandal
On September 5, a video went viral showing the Indian cricketer seeking the blessings of Lord Ganesha at a pandal amid the 10-day-long Ganeshotsav celebrations in Maharashtra.
In the video, as fans started chanting the famous Mumbai cha Raja chant, the Indian ODI skipper humbly requested them not to do so at the pandal.
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Rohit Sharma stops fans from chanting 'Mumbai Cha Raja, Rohit Sharma' at Bappa's pandal. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ztWwAAuOoY
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 6, 2025
The term 'Mumbai cha Raja' originates from the famous idol of Lord Ganesha in the Ganeshgalli region of the city. The group has notably celebrated the festival since 1928 and is approaching the 100-year milestone.
In the moment when Rohit stopped the chants, the cricketer wanted to show his respect to Lord Ganesha. Hailing from the city, Rohit has scored 19700 international runs for India in 499 international matches, while captaining the team to two trophies.
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Besides five IPLs for MI, he has also won the title with the Deccan Chargers (2009) alongside several other trophies with the Mumbai domestic side.