Mumbai Indians Coach Mahela Jayawardene Discusses Senior Players' Role in IPL Retention

Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mahela Jayawardene has revealed that four senior players—Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav—played a pivotal role in the retention discussions ahead of the IPL 2025 season. Jayawardene emphasized the importance of these discussions in shaping the team’s strategy moving forward after a disappointing previous season.

In a recent interview with Jio Cinema, Jayawardene stated, “We had extensive discussions. These four senior guys led those discussions. Obviously, what happened last season, as well as how we collectively move forward, was crucial for us to align in the right direction.” The collective input from the players, coaching staff, and management was seen as vital in determining the future of the franchise.

MI has retained its senior core, including Bumrah, who has been retained at the top price of ₹18 crore, while Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya were retained for ₹16.35 crore each. Jayawardene noted that Rohit, who retired from T20 internationals after leading India in the T20 World Cup in June, played a key role in the retention decisions. He also highlighted the significance of acknowledging Bumrah's consistent performance as one of the best bowlers in the world.

"Ro led the retention part, and everyone agreed that Bumrah, being the best sport in the world, and it's been very consistent, needed to be recognized at the top," Jayawardene explained. He added that Rohit wanted to ensure that young Indian players like Tilak Verma were recognized as well, culminating in Verma being the final retention pick for MI.

Despite the backlash from fans regarding the decision to appoint Pandya as captain last season, Jayawardene confirmed that the all-rounder will continue to lead the team. “The leadership, as well as Hardik being appointed captain, we had that conversation with them. So that was led by them,” he stated.

After finishing at the bottom of the league in the last season, MI is focusing on learning from their mistakes. Jayawardene mentioned that the team is looking to understand what went right and what went wrong during the season. “It’s about learnings for us, understanding what went right, what went wrong. We need to learn from that, and that was part of the discussions that we had,” he said. He added that controlling their performance on the field is paramount and that off-field issues can be managed more easily.

Looking ahead, MI will enter the auction with a purse of ₹45 crore, aiming to rebuild and improve their standing in the upcoming season.