Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, retained, Mumbai Indians.

On retention day, nothing gives us more pleasure than having the Mumbai Indians core in place As a franchise, continuity and loyalty has been something the Paltan prides itself on, and come the 2025 IPL mega Auction, nothing’s different.

“As a group, we remember 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020, all our fans know what happened in those years, and we are going to come back stronger than that.,” Hardik Pandya echoed all our emotions in a video chat with Mumbai Indians.

Life’s come a full circle for Hardik, from coming back into the Blue and Gold last year, to having a tough season in 2024, to marching into the Wankhede with the World Cup proudly aloft, in front of lakhs of screaming fans through Marine Drive.

There’s one bit of unfinished business to tick off in 2025, that one piece of silverware that’s been elusive for four years now. Surely Rohit Sharma knows a thing or two about turning things around.

“We haven’t had the best of seasons in the last 2 or 3 years, but we are quite determined to change that. So, yes, we will be looking forward to each other’s’ help and hopefully we can turn things around,” Rohit said.

Five players. One mission. One target. As we head into the Auction to build up our Family for the next three seasons, Hardik sums up the essence of MI, the Spirit of MI.

“We are five people who have cherished a lot of good memories, together. We are as one. We are five fingers, but one fist. That’s how I look at it. We are going to come all guns blazing, brotherhood, friendship, and at the same point of time, back each other, no matter what happens."