Mumbai Indians may be witnessing Rohit Sharma’s final season, as the India captain is set to leave the franchise before IPL 2025.
Rohit Sharma, the undisputed leader of the Paltans, was removed from the captaincy in IPL 2024, with Hardik Pandya taking over. There were several indications of Rohit’s growing distance from the core of the franchise.
The BCCI recently announced the retention policy, allowing Mumbai Indians to retain up to five key players; however, Rohit Sharma may not be among them.
Sources have informed MyKhel media that Rohit Sharma is likely to join Lucknow Super Giants for the upcoming season. This move could streamline Mumbai Indians’ retention and Right to Match (RTM) strategies. Since joining Mumbai Indians in 2011, Rohit has been a pivotal figure in the IPL, leading the team to five titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.
The report also indicates that Hardik Pandya will continue as the captain of Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025. Suryakumar Yadav, who serves as India’s full-time T20I captain under Gautam Gambhir, will remain an integral part of the team. Jasprit Bumrah and Tilak Varma are expected to stay with the franchise as well. These four players could be retained, while Ishan Kishan may be released.
Zaheer Khan crucial for Rohit to join LSG
Rohit Sharma is being strongly linked with a move to Lucknow Super Giants, though many other teams are expected to pursue the India captain as well. Despite retiring from international T20 cricket, Rohit will undoubtedly attract interest at the IPL auction. While KL Rahul appears to have mended ties with LSG owner Sanjeev Goenka after their IPL dispute, the Karnataka batter could still part ways with the franchise, creating an ideal opportunity for Rohit to step in. With Zaheer Khan taking over the reins at LSG, it seems likely that this could influence Rohit’s potential switch from Mumbai to Lucknow for the next IPL season.