With IPL 2025 approaching, Harbhajan Singh comments on Rohit Sharma’s potential retention by Mumbai Indians, emphasising his recent T20 World Cup win as a strong factor.
Will Mumbai Indians Retain Rohit Sharma for IPL 2025?
With the IPL 2025 retention deadline around the corner, Mumbai Indians (MI) fans are anxiously awaiting updates on former captain Rohit Sharma’s future with the franchise.
MI underwent a leadership shake-up last season, bringing Hardik Pandya back as captain. Although Pandya’s return added experience, MI struggled, finishing at the bottom of the table.
Rohit’s association with MI remains in question, especially following a viral video of him conversing with former KKR coach Abhishek Nayar.
Former MI captain Harbhajan Singh has now shared his perspective, stressing that Rohit’s T20 World Cup victory makes him a valuable player MI would be wise to retain.
Harbhajan’s Take on Rohit’s Value to MI
In an exclusive interview, Harbhajan Singh emphasised that Rohit Sharma’s recent T20 World Cup win should weigh heavily in MI’s decision to retain him.
“Mumbai Indians is a team that hasn’t played well in the last two to three years. They’ve been a champion team, a very good team, and as far as I know, they will definitely think of building a team for the future. But that doesn’t mean they won’t add experienced players this year.
Last year, they made Hardik Pandya captain, and I think he will definitely be retained. Jasprit Bumrah will be retained, Suryakumar Yadav will be retained, and the question looms over Rohit Sharma’s retention,” said Harbhajan, speaking exclusively to Star Sports.
“He has just won the World Cup as a captain, so I think he should be retained, and he will be. That will make four players, and if there’s a fifth player, then Tilak Varma will be retained.
Despite his underwhelming IPL 2024 performance, where he scored 417 runs at an average of 32.08, Harbhajan believes Rohit’s experience and winning mentality remain crucial for MI.
Tilak Varma and Future Team Building
Harbhajan also pointed to Tilak Varma as a key asset for MI. The young player showed promise last season, positioning himself as a potential match-winner in the future.
Harbhajan noted that MI might consider a fresh lineup while retaining key veterans, predicting that Pandya, Bumrah, and Yadav would be retained for their core contributions.
According to Harbhajan, MI will likely prioritise building around these pillars, blending experienced players with young talent like Varma to ensure a strong foundation moving forward.
“Tilak Varma is one of those players who will be very useful for Mumbai Indians in the future to win matches. When it comes to bowling, I don’t think there’s anyone else they would want to retain, so Nehal Wadhera could be a good option for them. He is an uncapped player, so he should be picked,” he added.
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