The Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council has released its guidelines for player retention, sparking discussions among experts on which players franchises should prioritize ahead of the mega auction. With six players allowed for retention, including Right-To-Match, tough decisions lie ahead for teams.
For Mumbai Indians (MI), the future of former skipper Rohit Sharma is a major talking point. However, former India batter Aakash Chopra believes MI should also make a crucial call on current captain Hardik Pandya.
While many expect Hardik to be MI’s top retention, Chopra argues that Jasprit Bumrah should take that spot. He considers Bumrah the No. 1 pick across all IPL teams, making him the top priority for MI as well.
“The most difficult thing is to retain the Indian core. MI and CSK have won five trophies each, and both have had strong Indian cores. Overseas players can be replaced, but Indian players are harder to find. Can you tell me a like-for-like replacement for Jasprit Bumrah?” Chopra said.
Regarding Hardik, Chopra suggests he could be MI’s fourth pick. Suryakumar Yadav could be the second choice (in the INR 14 crore category), while Rohit, Tilak Varma, and Ishan Kishan would compete for the remaining spots.
“Indian retentions for Mumbai Indians seem straightforward. Hardik, Surya, Bumrah, you have three. After that, I think they will discuss with Rohit Sharma about the next step. It’s anybody’s guess after what has transpired. Whether he will stay in Mumbai or go elsewhere, I think it will also be his will. I think that will be a discussion. And then Ishan Kishan or Tilak Varma,” he added.
“The interesting aspect will be the order of retention. Who will be the first, who will be the second and all that? Jasprit Bumrah is my No. 1 retention. He will be the first retention in the overall IPL, across all teams. If Bumrah is your first, then you have captain Hardik Pandya. He can be your fourth retention (Rs 18 crore). Then you have India’s T20I captain, he is Suryakumar Yadav. He will be come in Rs 14 crore category. Then you have Rohit Sharma and Tilak Varma. Then there is the wicketkeeper-batter batter in Ishan Kishan, whom you retained for Rs 15 or Rs 15.5 crore. It’s going to be a tough one.”
Tim David and Piyush Chawla are also potential retention candidates for MI. While Chawla fits well in the uncapped player category, David’s chances of being retained remain uncertain.
