"His journey with the Mumbai Indians is over" - Aakash Chopra on Rohit Sharma's future with MI

Aakash Chopra reckons the Mumbai Indians (MI) won't retain Rohit Sharma ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. He feels the former MI skipper might himself not want to be retained or the franchise might release him.

MI traded in Hardik Pandya from the Gujarat Titans (GT) ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. They subsequently named him their skipper, replacing Rohit, their five-time IPL-winning captain.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra was asked about Rohit's future with MI.

"Will he stay or will he go? It's a big question. Personally, I feel he will not stay. Whoever is retained will be with the thinking that he will remain with you for three years, unless your name is MS Dhoni. MS Dhoni and Chennai Super Kings' story is very different but Rohit Sharma at MI, I feel he might himself leave or MI might leave him," he responded (8:45).

"Anything can happen but I don't think Rohit is going to be retained here. I don't have any information but I feel Rohit will probably be released. He might go to someone in the trade window, that's a possibility that he doesn't go to the auction, but if that doesn't happen, he might be seen in the auction. I feel his journey with the Mumbai Indians is over," the former India opener added.

The Mumbai Indians finished last in IPL 2024 despite having a formidable lineup. The sudden change in captaincy and the resultant disgruntlement within the squad was potentially one of the factors behind their dismal run.

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"The Mumbai Indians won't leave Suryakumar Yadav and I feel Surya also won't leave either" - Aakash Chopra

Suryakumar Yadav is one of the star batters in MI's lineup. [P/C: iplt20.com]

On the flip side, Aakash Chopra replied in the negative when asked whether the Mumbai Indians would trade Suryakumar Yadav.

"What are you asking? I don't think Suryakumar Yadav will be traded. I haven't heard anything like that. The Mumbai Indians won't leave Suryakumar Yadav and I feel Surya also won't leave either," he said (10:30) in the same video.

"Surya will be there. He is not going anywhere. Na, I don't think so. Surya will remain with the team. I don't know where you have read that," the reputed commentator added.

Suryakumar has been appointed India's T20I skipper after Rohit Sharma's retirement. In such a scenario, it remains to be seen whether the middle-order batter wants to be retained by MI if Hardik Pandya continues to be at the helm.