Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has bid an emotional farewell to Ishan Kishan, as his former IPL teammate is set to embark on a new chapter with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). The explosive left-handed batter has been a key batter in the Mumbai Indians’ success since 2018.
However, the five-time IPL champions’ retention strategy in the IPL 2025 mega-auction left Ishan Kishan out of their plans, as they retained only their captain, Hardik Pandya, premier batters Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma, star pacer Jasprit Bumrah, and young batting sensation Tilak Varma.
Mumbai Indians bid goodbye to Ishan Kishan; Hardik Pandya shares heartfelt tribute
The decision to release Kishan sparked significant discussions among fans and experts. However, they tried to secure Kishan’s services during the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, but they bowed out after the bidding reached INR 3.20 crore. And Sunrisers Hyderabad eventually snapped up the Indian wicketkeeper-batter for a staggering INR 11.25 crore at the auction.
Read Also: Suryakumar Yadav’s comeback confirmed ahead of IND vs AUS Adelaide Test
Addressing the situation, Hardik Pandya acknowledged the challenges in retaining a player of Ishan Kishan’s caliber. Reflecting on their strong bond and Kishan’s significant contributions to the Mumbai Indians, the all-rounder admitted that the franchise always knew that they would face stiff competition for the dynamic batter in the IPL 2025 auction.
On Sunday, December 1, the Mumbai Indians shared a video on the social media platform X where the skipper Pandya can be seen paying an emotional tribute to Ishan Kishan, as his journey with the franchise ended in the world’s biggest tournament.
Ishan Kishan has been the freshness and energy of the Mumbai Indians’ dressing room: Hardik Pandya
Pandya said in the MI video on X: “Ishan has been the freshness and the energy of the room. When we couldn’t retain him, we always knew that it was going to be very difficult to get him back from the auction simply because we knew the kind of player and kind of skillset he brings. He always used to keep the dressing room light and has made a lot of people smile.”
The skipper added, “That love and warmth, it came very naturally to him, and there will be less cake smashing and fewer pranks happening on people. That was Ishan, who used to bring so much love to this team; that is something, as a group, we are going to miss. Ishan Kishan, you will always be MI’s pocket dynamo. We are all going to miss you, and we all love you.”
💌 𝓉ℴ 𝐼𝓈𝒽𝒶𝓃 #MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians | @ishankishan51 pic.twitter.com/K1Gz5DKYUU
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) December 1, 2024
Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah absent from Ishan Kishan’s farewell post
Surprisingly, former captain Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah didn’t give a farewell message to Ishan, as the trio were absent from the tribute video shared by the MI on X. However, some moments featured in the short clip, but they didn’t share parting words for their former teammate.
Read Also: “Little unlucky…”: Rohit Sharma speaks after failing badly in IND vs PM XI match
Earlier, there were reports that MI was split into groups when Hardik Pandya was made captain by removing Rohit, and since then, Suryakumar and Bumrah were in the Indian captain’s team while the wicketkeeper-batter was the biggest supporter of the Baroda all-rounder.
It could be one of the reasons behind Rohit, Suryakumar, and Bumrah’s absence from the farewell message to Ishan. Notably, Suryakumar had also openly expressed his desire to lead MI in the IPL when he was retained by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Notably, Bumrah and Rohit are currently busy in BGT 2024-25 in Australia.