Rohit Sharma was demoted from his job last year. Despite being the man who brought Mumbai Indians (MI) glory, he was removed as captain before the IPL 2024 season. There seemed to be palpable tension within the team. Barring Rohit and captain Hardik Pandya, two other players could captain any other team.
Perfect spot for me: Rohit Sharma on being MI’s 4th retention
So, it looked like it wouldn’t be possible for MI to retain their Big 4 of Rohit, Hardik, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah before the IPL 2025 mega auction. But they’ve done. The reason behind all of it might be Rohit. When the moment came, he told MI that he would take a pay cut by telling the franchise he’s been with since 2013 that Bumrah, Hardik, and Suryakumar should all be retained over him.
“He was the one who said that Bumrah, Hardik, and Surya play for India, so they need to be in the top three,” a source told the Indian Express.
Rohit reiterated the same in a video released by MI on their social media. Here, he can be heard saying that all three represent India in T20Is and therefore they should get the preference over him. Talk about a team man. “Since I have retired from the format, I think this is the perfect spot (4th player) for me. The players who are representing the national team at the highest level should get the preference. That’s what I believe in, and I am quite happy with it,” Rohit said.
Now some might say Rohit’s being paid just 5 lakhs less than Hardik and Suryakumar, but it’s the decision to gleefully accept that’s worth noting. After Virat Kohli, Rohit is the biggest name in cricket. He could have denied the offer, saying he deserves to be MI’s top retention, and if they don’t agree, he’ll go to the IPL 2025 mega auction. Multiple franchises would have gone after him, and he would have found himself richer than Rs 16.3 crore. But he chose to stick with MI.
MI retention list for IPL 2025
Retention No. 1 (Rs 18 crore) – Jasprit Bumrah
Retention No. 2 (Rs 16.35 crore) – Hardik Pandya
Retention No. 3 (Rs 16.35 crore) – Suryakumar Yadav
Retention No. 4 (Rs 16.30 crore) – Rohit Sharma
Retention No. 5 (Rs 8 crore) – Tilak Varma
Retention No. 6 – RTM
Purse left – Rs 45 crores
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