Hardik Pandya will captain the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025 as confirmed by the franchise on Thursday. After a tough season in 2024 when MI ended up at the last spot on the points table for only the second time in their history, the franchise retained Hardik and Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, and Tilak Varma, a core group that MI are keen to build around going into the IPL mega auction.
This retention, at INR 75 crore, retains a few star players in the MI playing XI. Bumrah is the most expensive of the lot at INR 18 crore. This is the first time he has topped MI’s player retention list. Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav have been retained at INR 16.35 crore each, whereas, Rohit and Tilak have been retained at INR 16.30 crore and INR 8 crore, respectively. This means MI will enter the auction with a budget of INR 45 crore for strengthening the squad.
Looking back on the season, Hardik said that he is ecstatic to carry on as the Mumbai Indians captain, knowing well the fact that it has been home to him. “My journey started here. Every year is special, and this one will be even more so,” he quipped, pointing towards the history of winning seasons in MI’s record since 2013 up until last year while assuring fans that it is about to make a comeback.
The reappointment of Mahela Jayawardene as the head coach for the 2025 season by MI indicates that they are on the way to returning to winning ways. This change in coaching along with retaining key players is expected to rebuild the competitive edge of the team. Akash Ambani, the owner of MI, emphasized legacy and team spirit, saying that the core group represents the ethos of MI and the commitment to passionate cricket.
However, the pressure stays on Pandya after a testing season where his performance came under mixed reactions mainly after his trade from Gujarat Titans and subsequent role as MI’s leader in the place of Rohit. The franchise trusts in its seasoned core to lead the resurgence in IPL 2025.
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Rajasthan Royals Retain Core Players Ahead of 2025 IPL Season
