Mumbai Indians,
the most successful team of the Indian Premier League (IPL), let go a plethora
of cricketers who had played an immense role in the team’s rise during the
retention announcement Wednesday. The Mukesh Ambani-backed team have retained
Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Kieron Pollard and Suryakumar Yadav. However, a
lot of players were not retained. Mukesh Ambani’s son Akash Ambani made the
announcement on retentions.

Rohit Sharma, who
recently donned the India captain cap in the T20 format, said that it was
heartbreaking to see so many players go. “As you all know, it was going to be
the toughest retention for Mumbai Indians this year. We have had solid players,
absolutely gun players in our squad and to release them is absolutely
heartbreaking,” he said.

Also Read | Dhoni, Rohit, Kohli among 18 players retained for IPL 2022: Report

Sharma added that
the players being let go have done some amazing work for the team and created a
lot of memories. Sharma, who is the captain of the team, is among four players
to be retained. “Four players including myself, hopefully we can form a good
core and create a solid team around us,” said Rohit Sharma.

The most
noteworthy absentees from the Mumbai Indians squad are Hardik Pandya and his
brother Krunal Pandya. Both Hardik and Krunal have played major roles in Mumbai
Indians’ journey but the cricketers have also courted controversy.

Also Read | IPL 2022: Full list of retained players by 8 franchises

Other big players
who have been left out include, Ishan Kishan, Trent Boult and Quinton de Kock. However,
Mumbai Indians still have Rs 48 crore in their kitty and may target some of
them during the IPL auctions next year. Skipper Rohit Sharma said that he has
full confidence in the team assembling a solid set of players for the upcoming
editions of the IPL.

Also Read | IPL 2022: Chennai Super Kings to retain MS Dhoni for three more seasons

According to
Sharma, the immediate goal for the team would be to get a solid squad during
the auction. “We will keep an eye on who we can get in the auction, find the
right spot for the right players. So yeah, our scouts are doing a fantastic job,
watching talents in and outside India,” said Rohit Sharma.