The BCCI announced the IPL retention policy a few days ago and since then there has been much chatter regarding player retentions. All the IPL franchise have already started their permutation and combinations to grind out the best possible scenario ahead of the IPL retention deadline.
All the eyes will be on five time IPL champions Mumbai Indians as they do have some tough calls to take. Hardik Pandya was brought in from Gujarat Titans last season under much fanfare but that move backfired as MI finished last in IPL 2024.
Hardik was also handed over the leadership mantle from Rohit Sharma in a move which also attracted criticism from a section of fans. It remains to be seen whether Hardik and Rohit both will be retained by the franchise.
Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody feels Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav should be the priority for MI for the 18 crore bracket while Hardik can be placed in the 14 crore bracket.
In an interaction with ESPN Cricinfo he said, "The way that things panned out in the last edition of the IPL, he would be, I think, a little bit disillusioned with what happened over the last 6-12 months. I would have Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav in the 18-crore bracket, and Hardik at 14. Leaving is up to him or you can put it down to his performance, form and fitness. And when you dissect all of those areas with Hardik Pandya, does he deserve to be an 18 crore player? Is he worth? If you've got to be an 18 crore player, you've got to be a genuine match-winner and do it regularly. Hardik Pandya, through his trials and tribulations over the last edition of the IPL was struggling with both fitness and performance. Tilak Varma absolutely."