'It's not even a question' - Mitchell McClenaghan feels Mumbai Indians must retain all-rounder Hardik Pandya

New Zealand and Mumbai Indians pacer Mitchell McClenaghan feels there is “no question” over whether his IPL team should retain all-rounder Hardik Pandya or not.

McClenaghan, a four-time IPL-winner with the Rohit Sharma-led side, wrote, “Clearly Hardik. It’s not even a question – there is a severe lack of Indian all-rounders and finishers. No one on that [Pandya’s] level as of yet, in response to a Twitter question that read, “If Mumbai Indians could retain only one player, who should it be?”.

Meanwhile, Pandya, who has asked national selectors to not consider him for selection as he is focusing on regaining bowling fitness, has been playing with the team over the last two seasons only as a pure batter. The last he bowled for the Mumbai team in the IPL was before his surgery in 2019.

As for other retentions for the Mumbai Indians, skipper Rohit Sharma and pacer Jasprit Bumrah are the default choices, with Kieron Pollard being the most obvious choice in the overseas retention column. For the remaining spot, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya and Surkyakumar Yadav are in contention.

Clearly Hardik. It’s not even a question – there is a severe lack of Indian all rounders and finishers. No one on that level as of yet. https://t.co/fLmjScIHRg

— Mitchell McClenaghan (@Mitch_Savage) November 28, 2021

IPL retention rules

The teams will have an auction purse of INR 90 crores, with the eight existing franchises allowed to retain up to a maximum of four players. The two new teams – Lucknow and Ahmedabad – can pick three players once the existing teams decide which players they will retain and release others into the auction pool.

The existing teams cannot retain more than three Indians (capped or uncapped) and two overseas players, while a team can also not retain more than two uncapped players. On the other hand, the new franchises can pick two Indians (capped or uncapped), one overseas and one uncapped player each. There is no provision of Right to Match (RTM) card this year.

As for the funds, the existing teams can spend a maximum of INR 42 crore on retained players. If a franchise retains four players, the deductions from the salary cap will be INR 16 crore for Player 1, INR 12 crore for Player 2, INR 8 crore for Player 3 and INR 6 crore for Player 4.

The deductions for three retentions will be INR 15 crore for Player 1, INR 11 crore for Player 2 and INR 7 crore for Player 3. In the case of two players being retained, the sums are INR 14 crore and INR 10 crore, while for a solitary player, INR 14 crore will be deducted from the auction purse. The corresponding figures for new franchises for retaining three, two or one player(s) are the same.