Sometimes two small words are enough to set the cricket world buzzing. After the third ODI between India and New Zealand was washed out, Mitchell Santner walked up to Rohit Sharma and said, “Hello, Skipper.” Rohit replied, “Thanks mate.” A short clip of that moment is now going viral, and Mumbai Indians fans are asking one big question. Is Rohit about to become MI captain again?
What happened in the video?
Cricket New Zealand posted the clip after the match at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Tuesday, November 10 was called off. Players from both sides were seen meeting and greeting each other. Santner, who captains New Zealand in ODIs and T20Is, has also played for MI since the 2025 season, so he knows Rohit well from the dressing room.
Why are fans reading so much into it?
The timing is the reason. Reports say Hardik Pandya is set to leave MI in a trade with Punjab Kings. If you want the full story, our explainer on the reported MI and PBKS trade covers what we know so far. If Hardik does leave, the captain’s job is open, and many fans saw Santner’s greeting as a hint of what comes next.
A quick look back
Before the 2024 season, MI took the captaincy away from Rohit after he had led the team for about ten years. Under him, MI won five titles and became the joint most successful team in IPL history. Hardik took over after returning from Gujarat Titans, where he had won the 2022 title and reached the 2023 final.
The results since then have been mixed. MI finished 10th in 2024. In 2025, they reached the playoffs and lost Qualifier 2 to Punjab Kings. In 2026, they finished ninth with eight points.
Who else could lead MI?
Rohit is not the only name. MI has Santner himself, plus Suryakumar Yadav, who is described as India’s 2026 T20 World Cup-winning captain. There is also Jasprit Bumrah, who has led both India and MI before, and Tilak Varma, who has captained India A in several series. The report says some reports suggest Rohit will lead again, but it does not name who is saying so.
A word of caution
This is where we should slow down. It was a friendly greeting between two teammates, caught on camera after a washed-out game. “Skipper” is a common word in cricket, and players often use it with a smile. Santner could have been joking. He could also have been talking about Rohit’s long record as a captain. A greeting cannot tell us what the MI management has decided.
MI has not announced anything about the captaincy. As far as our sources show, the trade itself is still waiting for official word too. So the honest answer is that Rohit’s return is possible, and it is being talked about, but it is not confirmed.
What to watch next
The deadline for teams to announce their retained players is November 17, and the IPL 2027 mini auction is set for December 16 in Goa. Captaincy news usually follows once the squad is clear, so keep an eye on MI’s official channels.
More from the India vs New Zealand series
This New Zealand series has already given fans a few moments to share. One of them was a close-up clip of Virat Kohli singing the national anthem, which went viral before the first ODI.
For now, two words and a short reply have given MI fans plenty to talk about. Whether it turns out to be a hint or just a joke between friends, we will know soon enough.