As the IPL 2024 retention list deadline approaches, discussions surrounding some big transfers are also getting heated. The most talked about possibility is that Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya could return to Mumbai Indians. Hardik has been in touch with the Mumbai franchise since the IPL 2023 and there were reports of a deal between him and the Mumbai franchise even before the World Cup. Amid all this, the big question arises: How will Mumbai make a place in their team for Hardik’s return?
In fact, Hardik Pandya was bought by Gujarat Titans for Rs 15 Crore. Currently, Mumbai Indians don’t have room in their wallet for a player worth that much. After the last IPL auction, he had only Rs 5 lakh left. To raise Rs 15 crore in such a situation, the company may have to exit some of its big players. Names like Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Joffra Archer and Cameron Green feature in this list.
Along with MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma is one of the most successful captains in the IPL. In such a situation, Mumbai Indians would not want to leave him. But it is also clear that if Mumbai decided to bring Hardik back, they would want this all-rounder to return not just as a player. He will surely hand over the captaincy of the team to Hardik. In such a situation, it seems difficult for Rohit Sharma to remain in the team just as a player. That is why there is also discussion that there can be an exchange of Rohit and Hardik between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat titans. This means that Rohit is likely to take charge of the Gujarat Titans next season.
If Mumbai Indians want to bring back Hardik and also keep Rohit in the team, they also have the option of releasing Ishan Kishan. Ishaan is also a player with the same price as Hardik Pandya. He was bought by Mumbai for Rs 15.25 crore. By releasing Ishaan, Mumbai Indians can easily raise money for Hardik.
Mumbai Indians have options other than this. She can release Cameron Green. Mumbai had bought Green for a whopping price of Rs 17.50 crore. However, Green’s performance did not match the prices at all. He’s not in good shape at the moment either. Furthermore, Mumbai Indians can also make room for Hardik by releasing Joffra Archer (8 Crores) and a few other players. Archer couldn’t even play for Mumbai last season due to surgery.
