ESPNcricinfo has learned that MI’s senior management, including Mahela Jayawardene, who recently returned as head coach, was thinking of paying Rohit, Bumrah, Hardik and Suryakumar the same amount of salary, but the players themselves decided on a retention order.
However, details and individual amounts were yet to be finalized when Mumbai’s senior management, including Jayawardene and owner Akash Ambani, met the players in early October to review the five-time champions’ underperformance in IPL 2024. last.
During this period, players and management met twice. The idea was to talk openly about how the previous season went. Part of the conversation involved everyone being open about what they felt was working and what wasn’t. The player in question was also asked to clarify what he wanted before the retention was completed.
It is understood that Suryakumar wanted to know what plans the franchise had for the future. Suryakumar, who replaced Rohit as India’s T20I captain after the T20 World Cup, would also like to lead MI at some point. The franchise has told him that when Hardik replaces Rohit as captain ahead of the 2024 season, the plan is to see him retain the position for at least the foreseeable future.
The franchise asked Suryakumar what conditions there would be before retaining him and also told him that they would not be able to promise him anything. Suryakumar later told the franchise that he wanted to stay in MI. He is also believed to have told the franchise that he has aspirations for the captaincy. This was on October 4, about four weeks before the retention deadline.
It is understood that the senior group was told in this meeting that the franchise would retain Hardik as captain as it would be unfair to judge Hardik on his performance last season, when he struggled with form with both bat and ball and made questionable strategy calls . field. There was an understanding that if the right environment was created, it would help both Hardik and Mumbai succeed. The players agreed.
Rohit, along with Hardik and Suryakumar, agreed that Bumrah deserves not only the highest price but also the highest retention rate. Rohit also said that he is happy to be the fourth retainer after Bumrah, Suryakumar and Hardik, considering that he has retired from the T20I format.
It was agreed at the meeting that the team risked losing its base of support if they did not provide clarity to the team’s fans about the future the franchise was headed towards. At one meeting, Suryakumar reportedly said:Main Mahaul Banaunga (I will create the atmosphere)
