The five-time champions have gone with a strategy that keeps their Indian heart firmly in place, retaining five core players who are all set to shape their journey this season.
Mumbai Indians IPL 2025 Retentions
Tilak Varma – ₹8 Crore
The India A captain has been a star for MI, racking up 1156 runs in just 38 games at a 146.33 strike rate. This is the young gun MI is grooming, the only player under 30 in this retention list and one who could very well lead MI someday.
Rohit Sharma – ₹16.3 Crore
How could MI’s lineup feel complete without Rohit Sharma? The six-time title-winning leader and MI’s highest run-scorer with 5731 runs. Yet, this retention has a message – retaining him below Pandya signals the captaincy shift, but retaining him at all shows how much MI respects his legacy. Rohit may no longer be the captain, but he’s MI’s icon and a stabilizing figure for this new-look side.
Suryakumar Yadav – ₹16.35 Crore
And then, there’s SKY. If you’ve been following his journey, you know how he’s blossomed with MI – from a talented domestic cricketer to now, India’s T20I captain and arguably the best T20 batter globally. With 3033 runs in 98 games at a striking 148.09 rate, Suryakumar has been pure class. He’s not MI’s captain material, perhaps, but for the explosive role he brings to the lineup, it’s hard to imagine an MI squad without him.
Hardik Pandya – ₹16.35 Crore
Next up, the big call – Hardik Pandya as captain. It’s a full-circle story for Hardik, who rose to stardom with MI, won four titles here, and then went off to Gujarat to win them their maiden title. Now, he’s back in blue and gold, leading the side in a role that MI clearly believes he’s ready for. His captaincy debut with MI didn’t go as expected last season, but he’s shown in the past that he’s a leader for big moments. And yes, MI has matched his price to Suryakumar’s – a smart move to back him with confidence.
Jasprit Bumrah – ₹18 Crore
Top of the list, of course, is Jasprit Bumrah – MI’s pace sensation and, frankly, one of the finest bowlers of this era. A bowler as the top retention is unusual, yes, but if there’s one bowler who can justify that, it’s Bumrah. With 165 wickets from 133 games, he’s been MI’s go-to man since his 2013 debut, delivering match-winning spells under pressure. Last year, he not only grabbed 20 wickets in 13 IPL games at an economy of 6.48 (when most bowlers were leaking runs) but also took India to T20 World Cup glory as the Player of the Tournament. Bumrah won’t be the skipper, but putting him on top of the pay chart shows just how much MI believes in his impact.
Notable Players Not Retained
But, in this game, tough decisions are inevitable. The big surprises here are Ishan Kishan and Tim David. Both are big hitters with potential, but Kishan’s form hasn’t been steady, and David’s recent slump left him out of Australia’s national side too. Alongside them, MI’s emerging talents – Nehal Wadhera, Anshul Kamboj, Kumar Kartikeya, and Akash Madhwal – weren’t retained either, though MI might use their RTM to bring one back.
Mumbai’s moves show they’re setting up for a smart, calculated auction strategy. With 45 crores still left in the kitty and one RTM card, MI is primed for a big auction day. This team knows how to pick and groom talent, and this season, the journey continues with a fresh blend of experience, firepower, and promise.
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