Mumbai Indians (MI) made big news after they managed to trade in Hardik Pandya from Gujarat Titans in an all-cash deal ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. A day later, MI pacer Jasprit Bumrah posted a cryptic message on his Instagram account.
Bumrah has recently been the subject of much speculation due to a cryptic Instagram post that read "Silence is sometimes the best answer." This mysterious message has left fans and followers trying to decipher its meaning amidst rumors and discussions about his professional career.
Bumrah and Hardik both made their IPL debuts in 2015 for Mumbai Indians. While Hardik was released by MI ahead of the IPL 2022, Bumrah has been with the franchise throughout thick and thin. He did miss this year’s tournament due to his back surgery. Some fans even shared screenshots of Bumrah unfollowing MI on Instagram.
Some supporters believe Hardik's return to MI has thrown a wrench in the pacer's desire to succeed Rohit Sharma as captain, while others believe there's no need to read between the lines.
And now former India captain Kris Srikkanth feels that Bumrah is perhaps unhappy with Hardik Pandya’s return to MI fold as this means the all-rounder will be next in line to captain the side after Rohit Sharma calls time.
'Silence is sometimes...': Jasprit Bumrah shares cryptic post on social media
"You can't find another cricketer like Jasprit Bumrah. Be it Tests or white-ball cricket, he is one of the best going around. He gave it his all in the World Cup. And as you said, in the 5th Test against England, he was the stand-in Test captain in 2022. He might have regrets. He would have been hurt. He must be feeling that he stayed back with MI but the franchise is now celebrating someone who left and came back. 'You are making him the biggest thing on earth'. He might feel it's not fair," Kris Srikkanth said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Srikkanth contrasted Jasprit Bumrah's situation at MI to Ravindra Jadeja's at CSK, expressing optimism that the matter would be resolved by the team management. He also expressed sympathy for Bumrah, saying that any athlete would be hurt in such a situation.
"Something, similar happened with Ravindra Jadeja at CSK. But the team management and the captain came in and sorted out everything. In my opinion, what will happen is... I am sure the team management will sit with Pandya, Bumrah, and Rohit and sort out things. As a team only, you can only win championships. I would been hurt if something like that happened to me.
After Hardik Pandya has returned, Bumrah might think, I am from Gujarat, I could have captained that team. I don't whether it's a lack of communication. Something must have happened. Otherwise, Bumrah, who is such a down-to-earth person... He is a fantastic human being, if he is getting annoyed, obviously, something must have happened," Srikkanth added.
The IPL 2024 auction will take place in Dubai on December 19.
(India Today inputs)
