IPL 2025: Hardik Pandya expresses disappointment at not being able to have this star batter in the team

New Delhi: Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya expressed confidence on Sunday, November 1, stating that he anticipated the challenge of acquiring Ishan Kishan back in the Indian Premier League mega auction due to his exceptional abilities. Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Kishan was notably absent from the Mumbai Indians retention list. The five-time champion team decided to retain former captain Rohit Sharma, current captain Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Verma, and Jasprit Bumrah.

Ishan Kishan has been bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad, who made it to the finals last year, for Rs 11.25 crore in the next season. Mumbai Indians stopped bidding on Kishan after the bid reached Rs 3.20 crore. Kishan’s base price was Rs 2 crore. In a video shared by Mumbai Indians, Pandya said, “Ishan Kishan has been the freshness and energy of the team.”

Hardik Pandya said, “When we could not retain him, we knew that it would be difficult to get him back in the auction because we knew what kind of player he is and what kind of skills he has. He always kept the dressing room very good. He made a lot of people laugh. This love and warmth was very natural for him.”

WATCH VIDEO HERE:

ℴ #MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians | @ishankishan51 pic.twitter.com/K1Gz5DKYUU

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) December 1, 2024

Pandya remembered Kishan as Mumbai’s ‘pocket dynamo’. During Kishan’s six-year association with the team, Mumbai won the title twice between 2018-24. He said, “But yes, it was Ishan who brought so much love to this team. We will miss him. Ishan Kishan, you were the pocket dynamo of Mumbai Indians and we will all miss you. We all love you.