Following a tough IPL 2024 season that saw Mumbai Indians (MI) at the bottom of the standings for only the second time in their 17-year history, the franchise has reaffirmed its commitment to captain Hardik Pandya. Despite the recent challenges, MI announced on Thursday that Pandya will lead the team for IPL 2025, alongside key retained players such as Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, and Tilak Varma.

The franchise’s retention strategy, totalling Rs 75 crore, preserves a strong roster with Rs 45 crore available for reinforcements in the upcoming mega auction. Jasprit Bumrah, retained at Rs 18 crore, now holds the distinction of MI’s highest-paid player. Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav follow at Rs 16.35 crore each, while Rohit Sharma was retained for Rs 16.30 crore, and Tilak Varma at Rs 8 crore.

Reflecting on his journey with MI, Hardik expressed his gratitude in a franchise video, as cited by ESPNcricinfo. “It’s been fantastic. I think I have received a lot of love back,” Hardik said in an MI video.

“It means the world to me, as I’ve always mentioned, my journey started here. Everything I’ve achieved in my life has been a part of Mumbai Indians. Playing again, every year is a special year, and this year is going to be even more special. We remember as a group 2013, 2015, 2017, ’19 and ’20. I think all of our fans know what happened in those years, and we are going to come back in 2025 even stronger than that. You win and lose on the ground,” he added.

“Five people who have cherished good memories together. We are five fingers but one fist. That’s how I look at it. We are going to come all guns blazing. Brotherhood, friendship, and at the same time, we are going to back each other no matter what happens,” Pandya noted.

Pandya’s journey as MI captain has not been without challenges. After being traded from the Gujarat Titans and taking over from Rohit, he endured a difficult season, drawing fan criticism for his performance, which included 216 runs at a 143 strike rate and 11 wickets with an economy of 10.75. To bolster MI’s prospects, Mahela Jayawardene has returned as head coach, a move aimed at revitalizing the team’s competitive edge.

Thrilled to be part of MI again: Rohit Sharma

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma remains a vital part of MI’s lineup. As a retained player, he expressed joy about continuing with his hometown franchise, dismissing rumours of an exit. “I’m thrilled to be part of Mumbai Indians yet again. I have played so much cricket in Mumbai, this is the place where I started my cricket career. So this city is very, very special. Obviously, when you play for such a long time, you create so many memories with the team,” said Rohit.

“We haven’t had the best of the season in the last two or three years. But we are quite determined to change that,” he added.

Rohit, who retired from T20 internationals earlier this year, stated, “Since I have retired from the format, this is the perfect [retention] spot for me. The players who are representing the national team at the highest level should get the preference. That’s what I believe in and I am quite happy with it.”

MI’s commitment to its core Indian players, including Bumrah, Hardik, Suryakumar, Rohit, and Tilak Varma, signifies a strong foundation. Looking to the future, MI aims to channel its core strength and strategic leadership to regain its past winning momentum in IPL 2025.

(With agency inputs)