Indian
Premier League giants Mumbai Indians have decided to not retain Hardik Pandya
for the next season. The 28-year-old all rounder who has been prone to injury
in recent times is no longer at the levels he used to be. He has fallen down
the pecking order for the five times IPL champions.

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With the
IPL set to be an even grander affair with the introduction of two new teams, a
mega auction is set to take place next year. Although the rules are not clear yet,
the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to allow the teams
either 3 retentions and 1 RTM (Right to Match) or 4 retentions.

A senior
official tracking the retention market of franchises told PTI, “At this point in time, there is less than 10
percent chance that Hardik will be retained by MI. Yes, he might just
outperform everybody in the next few T20 World Cup games but even then, chances
are dim. If there are four retention or 1 RTM, then Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan
Kishan are the contenders for that slot,”

While Pandya has been a
part of the Mumbai Indians’ core, his poor performances in the last two seasons
and the rise of Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan have made the possibility of
him not being retained very real.

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Rohit Sharma and Jasprit
Bumrah are automatic picks for any side in the world and the third retention is
set to be used for legendary West Indies’ all rounder Kieron Pollard.

Hardik’s inability to
bowl and his inconsistency with the bat are the only reasons behind Mumbai’s
decision.

Although the
possibility of seeing Pandya in the Mumbai shirt is still possible if Nita
Ambani’s side choose to bid for the all rounder in the auction. However, they
would only choose to make a bid if he fits the side’s price range and will not shell
out a high amount for him.

If Hardik
Pandya does not play for Mumbai next season, what is the all-rounder’s next
most likely destination?