IPL 2025: Suryakumar Yadav to replace Hardik Pandya as MI captain? India skipper breaks silence

India National Cricket Team T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has broken his silence on the rumors of replacing star all-rounder Hardik Pandya as the captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya are two of the best players in the Indian T20I team. While Suryakumar Yadav dominates the opposition teams with bat, Hardik Pandya delivers both with bat and ball to produce magical game-changing moments.

Pandya was in line to take over the India T20I captaincy after Rohit Sharma retired from the format post-T20 World Cup win. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the team management handed the leadership duties to Suryakumar despite Pandya being Rohit Sharma's full-time deputy.

Hardik Pandya Became Mumbai Indians Captain In IPL 2024

The Mumbai Indians (MI) sacked their 5-time IPL-winning skipper Rohit Sharma ahead of the Indian Premier League 2024 and handed the leadership to Hardik Pandya.

Pandya, who made a name for himself at MI, was brought in from Gujarat Titans on a trade deal with MI aiming to capture their 6th title following the poor three-year run in the marquee tournament.

However, the decision to sack Rohit Sharma didn't go well with the fans and experts who blasted the franchise as well as Pandya.

The star all-rounder came under tremendous pressure after being booed by the spectators in almost every game and the Mumbai Indians were awful in IPL 2024 as they finished at the bottom of the table with just 4 wins in 14 matches.

Suryakumar Yadav To Become Captain In IPL?

Recently, rumors of Suryakumar Yadav becoming the new Mumbai Indians captain circulated on social media. And the Indian captain was directly asked the question related to his ambitions for IPL captaincy at a pre-match press conference in Gwalior.

Suryakumar Yadav came up with a cheeky reply to the question, saying that the reporter bowled him a googly.

He further said that he is enjoying his role as captain and revealed that he was actively engaged in giving inputs to Rohit Sharma at the Mumbai Indians. Suryakumar added that he is unsure about his future, but the announcement related to him becoming a captain of an IPL team will be made if it happens.

"Aapne googly daal diya (laughs). Really enjoying this new role. When I was playing under Rohit bhai’s captaincy in MI, I used to give my inputs whatever I felt at that time. Baaki dekhte hain (laughs). Let's see what's in store for the future. You will get to know in due course of time."

Mayank Yadav Has The X-factor - Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav also spoke about India's playing XI for the first T20I against Bangladesh, particularly about the selection of Mayank Yadav. The Indian skipper denied revealing any details about the selection of Mayank, but hailed him, saying that the express pacer has an X-factor in him.

“He [Mayank Yadav] does have the X factor and it is not like that only he has it. It’s there in all the players and it feels good to watch them. Although I did not play him in the nets but have you seen what he has done, what potential he has, and what difference can he make for the team?

“I saw the X-factor. When he played franchise cricket, he had extra pace. But given that, it’s also essential to manage him. You see there is cricket all around and these boys keep playing. So, attention has to be paid to them. And as I said, he is a great addition to the team and I think, he will do well for the team,” Suryakumar said.