Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya will remain in charge of the team for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season despite a difficult 2024 campaign, in which they finished at the bottom of the table. On October 31, the franchise announced that it has retained key players such as Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, and Tilak Varma.
Pandya, who returned to MI after a successful stint with the Gujarat Titans, found himself under huge pressure as captain in his first season. Fans were not happy with the team’s performance, and some of them expressed their discontent vocally at matches. But Pandya is hopeful for the forthcoming season. It began here, and everything I have done was part of Mumbai Indians, he said in a video shared by the franchise. Speaking of the team's unity, he said the retained players were 'five fingers but one fist', a reference to the fact that they are all close and support each other.
MI’s decision to keep hold of these players is a strategic step towards the IPL 2025 mega auction. At a total cost of Rs 75 crore, the franchise has been able to rope in a talented roster and still have Rs 45 crore left to shore up their squad. MI has retained Pandya and Suryakumar for Rs 16.35 crore each, Rohit for Rs 16.30 crore, and Bumrah for Rs 18 crore, making him MI's highest paid player.
Besides keeping key players, MI has reappointed Mahela Jayawardene as coach, hoping he can help the team revive its performance after a poor season last year. Jayawardene previously led MI to three IPL titles and will be instrumental in setting the team’s vision moving forward.
