After a tough 2024, the Mumbai Indians returned to the playoffs in 2025, finishing fourth in the standings. Hardik Pandya’s captaincy proved crucial, with his calm approach and smart decisions on the field receiving plenty of praise. With the November 15 retention deadline approaching, chatter around the potential release of MI stalwart and former captain Rohit Sharma ahead of IPL 2026 is dominating cricket conversations.

In his role as a senior batter, Rohit Sharma scored 418 runs from 15 games, at a strike rate close to 150.

As the retention talks heat up, Suresh Raina spoke on Rohit Sharma. “They should definitely keep him.”

MI have been buzzing with trade talks this season. Sources indicate that Mumbai might be eyeing a deal with Chennai Super Kings for Deepak Chahar, although nothing official has been confirmed. There’s also speculation about swapping overseas players as the five-time champions aim to bolster their middle order and bowling attack.

Mumbai Indians are likely to keep their Indian core intact, with Jasprit Bumrah leading the pace attack alongside star batters Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma. Overseas stars Trent Boult and Will Jacks could also stay after delivering key performances in IPL 2025.

Mumbai Indians’ Probable retention list: Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Trent Boult, Robin Minz, Naman Dhir, AM Ghazanfar, Ryan Rickelton, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Arjun Tendulkar, Will Jacks, Vignesh Puthur, Karn Sharma, Mitchell Santner, Ashwani Kumar