Ajay Jadeja Suggests MI May Utilize RTM for Hardik Pandya or Rohit Sharma Situation In IPL Retention

With the IPL 2025 big auction just around the corner, rumours of Mumbai Indians keeping Rohit Sharma grow stronger. Hardik Pandya replaced Sharma's captain in IPL 2024, therefore casting doubt on his future with the squad. As the auction date approaches, fans are looking forward to the choice.

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Ajay Jadeja shares his view on Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2025 mega auctions

Instead of listing Hardik Pandya on their list of retained players for the IPL 2025 super auction, Ajay Jadeja has conjectured that the Mumbai Indians (MI) may decide to retain him by using their one and only Right-to-Match (RTM) card. The IPL governing body's recent release of revised retention policies fuels increasing interest on which players teams will give top priority from past squads.

Reportedly for ₹15 crore, Hardik Pandya returned to MI from Gujarat Titans (GT) ahead of the 2024 season took on the captaincy from Rohit Sharma . Pandya looks nearly sure he will remain with MI for IPL 2025, despite a difficult season he led. But during an analytical session on JioCinema, Jadeja advised MI might not have to use one of their six retention slots for Pandya, choosing instead to keep him on the squad with their RTM card. Ajay Jadeja said: 

"I'd say, players like Rohit Sharma , Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah , are undoubtedly the three players who will be retained by MI. It is impossible to get these players if put up for auction. Moreover, I think that MI can use their RTM card for Hardik Pandya . Yes, the kind of player he is, you might not get him either (in the auction). But there is a chance that his injury tendencies might make the other franchises not be able to open up their banks for him," 

"If you have an RTM, they you can use their advantage. I am not saying that this decides the player's calibre or power, but if you look at a player like Bumrah and his value and then Hardik Pandya on the market, it will be a difficult business," 

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Either through the retention process or by using the Right-to- Match (RTM) card, each team would be allowed to keep up to six players for the 2025 IPL super auction, according a major announcement made by the IPL Governing Council. The RTM card gives a club the ability to match the highest bid for a player they have already released, therefore enabling them to keep vital players without directly engaging in the bidding war. Teams balancing their expenditures and roster decisions could find this strategic tool quite helpful. For Mumbai Indians , this might enable them to save a retention slot for another important player while keeping Hardik Pandya .