IPL 2025: Suryakumar Yadav touted to be Mumbai Indians's Number 1 Retention before Mega Auction

Former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg has suggested that Mumbai Indians (MI) should make Suryakumar Yadav their top priority for retention ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.

With the Mumbai Indians (MI) facing tough decisions due to a wealth of talent, Hogg believes that Suryakumar is the clear first choice, even ahead of Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya.

Brad Hogg urges Mumbai Indians (MI) to prioritize Suryakumar Yadav as top retention ahead IPL 2025 Mega Auction

The former Australian spinner hailed the swashbuckling Indian batter, who has been in sensational form and currently leads India's T20I team, as a game-changer with his ability to dominate bowlers all around the park.

He is a big fan of Suryakumar’s 360-degree batting. Hogg mentioned that Suryakumar Yadav's explosive batting style sets him apart as a crucial asset for Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL.

With the new retention rules allowing teams to keep a maximum of six players, including via Right to Match (RTM) options, Suryakumar’s retention is being hailed as a no-brainer by Hogg, especially given the hefty INR 18 crore salary cap for the first-choice pick.

He's able to hit sixes across the ground: Brad Hogg on Suryakumar Yadav

Brad Hogg said in a video shared on his YouTube channel: “He's able to hit sixes in all parts of the ground, and he just sets himself up so beautifully. That's why I think Mumbai Indians will have to look at keeping him as their number one player rather than Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya because he just blows opposition teams away.”

Apart from his batting prowess, Brad Hogg highlighted Suryakumar Yadav’s growing leadership qualities, which he believes have developed significantly during his time with the Mumbai Indians (MI).

His stint with the Mumbai franchise has transformed him into a mentor and leader, helping guide the younger talents in the squad. His leadership skills have come to the fore after he was appointed India’s T20I captain after the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Suryakumar Yadav has shown that he is a true leader: Brad Hogg

Hogg signed off by saying, “He has really shown that he is a true leader. When I played with him at Kolkata Knight Riders, I just thought he was more of a follower there. I didn't see the leadership side of it there, but when I went and did a bit of coaching at the Mumbai Indians, there was a slight change. You could see that he felt part of the team, and he was starting to think he was a leader. He was one of the experienced players in the team; he was taking youngsters under the wing.”

Notably, Suryakumar Yadav has recently guided India to a 2-0 T20I series win over Bangladesh at home after whitewashing Sri Lanka in the three-match T20I series. His next assignment will be India’s tour of South Africa, where they will play five T20I matches next month in November.

Presently, Team India is gearing up to take on New Zealand in a three-match Test series at home, and these matches are part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC). This Test series will kick off on October 16 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.