The mega auctions for the Indian Premier League (IPL) are one of the biggest tasks for owners to perform.
The mega auctions for the Indian Premier League (IPL) are one of the biggest tasks for owners to perform. With only a few retentions possible, they have to make harsh calls and leave out a few big-name players from the squad in every cycle. As another mega auction beckons for IPL 2025, the franchises have started preparing and finalising their retentions for the next cycle.
While every team has challenges to chalk out players to retain, the five-time champions, Mumbai Indians (MI), might have the hardest job on that aspect. It’s not about the number of retentions. Rather, it’s more about the order of retentions, which might be tedious. MI are laced with a number of stars in their squad, and it would be arduous to convince any of them to settle for less during the process.
For now, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah have the highest chances of being named as the first two retentions, given the value they provide. However, that leaves out Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma, who have been vital for MI for several years. Even performance-wise, Suryakumar has been MI’s best batter since joining in 2018 and is among the best T20 batters in world cricket.
It would be hard to convince him to be anywhere apart from the first two retentions. Suryakumar will be the first choice in any other team and deserves to be at least the second retention in MI, even in the presence of Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah.
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That still leaves Rohit Sharma, their most successful captain, out of the top three players to hold back. While he hasn’t been as consistent as the team wanted, he is still too big a player to leave, given what he has done for the franchise over the years. Even if the team accounts for his performances, Rohit wouldn’t agree to be the fourth retention ahead of the mega auction.
If he goes in the auction, Rohit will fetch a higher price than being the fourth retention. MI can also leave and try getting him back in the auction, but that is a massive gamble. Most teams will go after Rohit, which might inflate his price higher than the first retention.
The same goes for Suryakumar Yadav, who is too good to leave. He will break all previous records in the auction room. During the last mega auction in 2022, Suryakumar was the third retention, getting INR 6 crore, but his value has surged massively.
Can Mumbai Indians retain SKY?#SuryakumarYadav pic.twitter.com/pRbCjqhlT6
— CricXtasy (@CricXtasy) July 21, 2024
MI can’t afford to leave any of these players, but it would be hard to convince any of them to be anywhere below the second retention since they know their value. It will be impossible to get them back once they go up for bid. Even if they get them, MI will pay equal or more than they would for their first retention, which doesn’t make sense.
One thing MI can do is convince them to settle for less on paper and become the third and fourth retention in the team. Then, they can pay them under the table as a bonus for agreeing to stay back. MI did the same with Hardik Pandya last season, where they brought him for his original IPL price and gave extra bucks outside of the league’s fee.
But there’s something called value, and if Rohit and Suryakumar agree on the conditions, their brand value would be reduced. Sure, they will have money, but what about the merit? The Hardik Pandya trade depicted no room for loyalty in franchise cricket.
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Rohit was removed as the captain abruptly, and Suryakumar, seen as Rohit’s successor, didn’t even become the vice-captain in the last edition. That clearly means these players will look for personal gains over loyalty, and rightly so. Why should they miss the opportunity if they get more value somewhere else?
Loyalty works from both ends. If Rohit and Suryakumar stay back, the loyalty will be one-sided, from their end only. That Hardik trade showed the true face of franchise cricket, where owners will do anything to win.
Things weren’t as smooth in MI’s dressing room in IPL 2024. Since Hardik’s homecoming, MI didn’t really play as ‘One Family’. And if somehow owners convince Rohit and SKY to stay back, the dressing room environment will only exacerbate, even if they don’t show it on the field.
Apart from them, MI also have Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera to lock for future cycles. But, that star-studded players’ list might not allow them to see them as their first-choice retentions. That will also depend on the number of retentions allowed.
We might be in for a few shocking announcements when the retained players’ list comes out. As things stand out, it won’t be surprising if one of Rohit or Suryakumar leaves the franchise. MI have historically navigated this phase brilliantly but it will be quite arduous this time.
This mega auction will make it clear how they want to take things forward. In any case, a couple of players will have to compromise. Given the quality they all possess, no one would like to be on the wrong end, even if it means they have to leave their emotions behind.
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