Has Hardik Pandya's return to Mumbai Indians (MI) irked Jasprit Bumrah? Well, there might not be a definitive answer as sometimes "silence" is all we get.
In what is the biggest trade in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history, all-rounder Hardik Pandya has left as the captain of the Gujarat Titans (GT), moving back to MI for INR 15 crores and an undisclosed transfer fee.
It is a homecoming for Pandya, who started his IPL career with Mumbai Indians. In 2022, he shifted to Gujarat Titans, captaining the franchise to a title in what was their debut season in the IPL. In the following year, he fell marginally short of defending the trophy, losing the final to Chennai Super Kings.
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) November 27, 2023
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Fact Check- Did Jasprit Bumrah unfollow Mumbai Indians?
And soon after, Pandya's second coming, Bumrah has indeed unfollowed MI from Instagram.
Bumrah is a senior cricketer at MI. He recently posted a cryptic Instagram story, sparking speculation among fans about his potential desire to lead MI in the upcoming IPL 2024. The story featured the words 'Silence is the best answer,' leaving enthusiasts to connect it with Hardik Pandya's return to the Mumbai Indians.
Another Instagram story by Bumrah read: 'Sometimes being greedy is good and being loyal isn't.'
Bumrah insta story 😢 pic.twitter.com/m9FBIhls2d
— Pushkar (@musafir_hu_yar) November 28, 2023
However, it's worth noting that with Hardik Pandya's return to the franchise, there's also speculation about him succeeding Rohit Sharma as the skipper. This might have left Bumrah disappointed which might have led him to unfollow MI on social media and post such a message.
However, Bumrah continues to follow Pandya and Sharma.
Jasprit Bumrah's Instagram story. pic.twitter.com/EgpAirzwai
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 28, 2023
What does Hardik Pandya's potential return mean for Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah?
Star batter Suryakumar Yadav has served as Rohit's deputy in the past and captained one match in the 2023 season in his absence. 'SKY' was also named as India's captain for the ongoing T20 series against Australia. He might have captaincy ambitions once Rohit steps down and Hardik's potential return might be an obstacle for him.
Jasprit Bumrah was another captaincy candidate, as one of the seniors in the MI camp. He has also led India, in a T20 series in Ireland earlier this year. He might also fall down in the pecking order if Hardik does return to MI.
"Silence is sometimes the best answer" - Mumbai Indians set to patch up with Jasprit Bumrah?
On Thursday, 7 December, the official X (formerly Twitter) account of Mumbai Indians posted the following, referencing Bumrah's Instagram story.
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) December 7, 2023
The post sparked rumours related to the ongoing situation between Mumbai and their star bowler, with many speculating that Bumrah could be handed the captaincy of the franchise in order to smooth over relations between the player and franchise.
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