In a recent video on his YouTube handle Cheeky Cheeka, former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth shared his insights on the potential impact of Hardik Pandya's return to Mumbai Indians (MI) on premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

Srikkanth suggested that Bumrah might be hurt or regretful due to Pandya's comeback after leading Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2022.

Pandya, who initially began his IPL journey with MI in 2015 and secured four titles, joined GT in 2022. Bumrah, in response to Pandya's return to MI, posted a cryptic Insta story that read, "Silence is sometimes the best answer."

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Srikkanth acknowledged Bumrah's exceptional career, labeling him the best bowler globally in Tests and white-ball cricket, and hinted that he should have been the next captain in line for MI had it not been for Hardik’s return.

"He's the best bowler in the world currently, be it Tests or white-ball cricket, not to forget his World Cup performance. He was even the stand-in captain against England in the fifth Test last year," Srikkanth said.

Srikkanth hinted at a potential ego clash or hurt feelings, indicating that Bumrah might perceive the situation as unfair.

"He might be regretting. It could be his ego, or he might be hurt by the fact that he stayed back at MI and gave his all, but the team is bringing back someone who had left and celebrating him. He feels it's not fair," Srikkanth added.

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Drawing a parallel with a similar situation involving Ravindra Jadeja and Chennai Super Kings in previous seasons, Srikkanth highlighted the need for team management and captains to intervene and resolve internal conflicts.

"It was the same case with Ravindra Jadeja at CSK. However, the team management and the captain (MS Dhoni) stepped in to sort out the situation,” former Indian opener batter said.

"Similarly, I feel that the MI team management will have a sit-down with Bumrah, Pandya and Rohit (Sharma) to sort things out. Championships can only be won as a team," he added.

While supporting Bumrah as a potential captain for the five-time champions, Srikkanth affirmed that the situation indicated more than just a miscommunication.

"I'm not sure if it's miscommunication. I have interacted with Bumrah, a very down-to-earth person, and a fantastic human being. If he is getting aggravated, obviously, something must have happened,” Srikkanth suspected.

"It's quite possible that he was looking to lead MI, especially with the T20 World Cup coming up (next year)," Srikkanth concluded.