Captaincy aspirations, power struggle, and ego clashes won't make it easy for Mumbai Indians to retain the iconic trio for IPL 2025.
As the IPL 2025 retention deadline approaches on October 31, Mumbai Indians (MI) are facing a significant internal dilemma involving their star trio: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah.
Each player has been crucial to the franchise’s five IPL titles, but the change in captaincy last year, which saw Hardik Pandya replace Rohit as captain, has created tension. This shift not only disappointed fans, who openly expressed their discontent, but also seems to have unsettled the team’s core leaders.
All three players—Rohit, Suryakumar, and Bumrah—have hinted at their frustration through cryptic social media posts, sparking rumours of ego clashes and potential exits if their aspirations for leadership roles remain unmet.
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Rohit Sharma, with a legacy of five IPL trophies as MI’s captain, was suddenly removed from the captaincy, a decision that didn’t sit well with him or the fanbase.
Despite his role as India’s current Test and ODI captain, his leadership at MI was placed on the back burner to accommodate Pandya, who previously led Gujarat Titans to victory.
Rohit’s ongoing leadership role in the national team only fuels his desire to hold a similar stature within MI, making it evident that he may struggle to adjust to a secondary role, particularly under a teammate who was brought back.
Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav’s standing has risen significantly. Now captaining India’s T20I squad, Suryakumar has shown a unique approach to leadership that resonates with his aggressive playing style.
MI’s top-order powerhouse is a natural choice for a leadership role, especially given his popularity among younger players and his creative, high-risk style.
However, with Rohit and Hardik already in the equation, Suryakumar’s ambitions make the captaincy hierarchy a complex issue.
His desire to assert himself as a leader within MI hints at his reluctance to settle for a backseat role, which could potentially jeopardize his retention if MI doesn’t accommodate his captaincy ambitions.
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Jasprit Bumrah, a mainstay in both MI’s and India’s bowling line-ups, brings his own captaincy credentials as the Indian Test vice-captain.
While Bumrah has mostly focused on his performance over leadership, his elevated role in the Test team reflects his leadership potential, which MI might be underestimating.
As MI’s spearhead bowler and a seasoned campaigner, Bumrah’s quiet but firm leadership could add a fresh dynamic to MI’s setup, yet he may feel overlooked if the franchise continues to prioritize Hardik over other captaincy options.
The real question MI faces is how to balance the leadership aspirations and egos of these three iconic players. Reports indicate that MI plans to retain all four players—Rohit, Suryakumar, Bumrah, and Hardik—along with considering the Right to Match (RTM) option for Ishan Kishan.
Financially, retaining these key players will require a hefty chunk of MI’s auction purse, leaving them with limited flexibility in future acquisitions. The total retention cost for capped players like Rohit, Bumrah, and Suryakumar will consume a substantial portion of their INR 120 crore cap, making it a high-stakes decision.
The franchise’s attempt to retain this core might seem a strategic choice to uphold continuity, but behind the scenes, there’s an undeniable struggle as these players vie for leadership roles.
If MI chooses to keep them without addressing their aspirations, there’s a risk of an underlying conflict simmering into the season. Each player brings unique value and leadership qualities, but the IPL’s highly competitive environment, combined with personal ambitions, could lead to friction within the team.
MI’s management faces a tightrope walk in either distributing leadership responsibilities or appeasing individual ambitions to ensure harmony. While retaining all four stars, including Pandya, signals stability, balancing the trio’s leadership aspirations might end up becoming a challenging act for MI in the 2025 season.
