Mumbai Indians set to retain both Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya? Fresh report reveals

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to permit IPL franchises to retain five players before the upcoming IPL 2025 auction. The Mumbai Indians (MI) could retain key players like Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya for next year's tournament.

The BCCI recently had a discussion with the owners of all 10 IPL teams regarding player retention rules for the upcoming mega auction. Most owners wanted to retain five to six players for better continuity. After taking feedback, the BCCI will likely announce retention rules for the mega auction soon.

Mumbai Indians Failed To Qualify For IPL 2024 Playoffs

The Mumbai Indians traded in Hardik Pandya from the Gujarat Titans (GT) team ahead of last year's mini-auction. Hardik was appointed as the skipper of the five-time IPL-winning team. The all-rounder replaced Rohit Sharma, who led the franchise to five titles in the prestigious T20 tournament.

However, the Mumbai-based franchise had a lackluster performance under Hardik Pandya's captaincy in IPL 2024. They became the first team to be eliminated from this year's tournament. The Mumbai team won just four matches out of 14 in the league stage and finished at the bottom of the table.

Following Pandya's appointment as captain, there has been speculation regarding Rohit's future with MI. This uncertainty was fueled by a viral video in which Rohit jokingly remarked, "Bhai mera kya, mera toh yeh last hai," during an interaction with his former domestic teammate Abhishek Nayar.

Mumbai Indians To Retain Rohit Sharma For IPL 2025 Season?

As the possibility of retaining five players approaches, the Mumbai Indians will have to make strategic choices. The Mumbai-based team has had a consistent core for the last decade, but their disappointing last season under Hardik Pandya’s leadership has led to questions about their future lineup.

Mumbai retained Rohit Sharma (Rs 16 crore), Jasprit Bumrah (Rs 12 crore), Suryakumar Yadav (Rs 8 crore), and Kieron Pollard (Rs 6 crore) before the IPL 2022 mega auction. It will be interesting to see what retention prices are set for them if they agree to stay with the team for the IPL 2025 season.

The BCCI Likely To Allow Five Retentions Per Franchise

The BCCI was expected to announce the retention rules and auction guidelines last month, but the decision has been delayed following a meeting with IPL franchise owners. The delay is due to differing opinions among the teams, with some demanding eight retentions while others want the same rules.

The Right to Match (RTM) was absent in the last mega auction and is unlikely to return for the IPL 2025 auction. RTM had been removed to give the newly introduced franchises, Gujarat Titans (GT) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), an equal opportunity to compete for players in the auction pool.

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