Experienced Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes that Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pursuing Rohit Sharma at the IPL 2025 auction would not be a practical decision. He suggested that RCB would need to set aside at least ₹20 crore to bid for the former Mumbai Indians (MI) captain.
Rohit has been with the Mumbai Indians franchise since 2011. Under his leadership, MI has won the IPL five times, a record only matched by Chennai Super Kings (CSK). However, the 37-year-old was removed as captain before the IPL 2024 season and replaced by all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
Under Pandya, the Mumbai Indians finished last in IPL 2024, securing only four wins out of 14 matches. Recently, rumors have circulated that RCB might pursue Rohit in the IPL 2025 mega auction if the star batter decides to enter.
However, according to Ashwin, the idea of the Bengaluru franchise targeting Rohit at the auction doesn’t seem practical. He shared his thoughts during a discussion on his YouTube channel, stating (12:35):
“Agar Rohit Sharma ke liye aap jaa rahe hai to 20 crore rakhna padega. 20 crore udhar gayab ho gaya. (You need to keep 20 crore with yourself if you want to sign up Rohit Sharma. 20 crore has disappeared there.)
Rohit is the all-time leading run-scorer for the Mumbai Indians franchise. In 221 matches, he has amassed 5,731 runs at an average of 29.69 and a strike rate of 131.05, including two centuries and 36 fifties. As captain, he has led the team in 158 matches, achieving 87 wins, 67 losses, and four ties.
“I don’t foresee MI parting ways with Rohit”- De Villiers
Prior to Ashwin, former South African and RCB player AB de Villiers also rejected the idea of Rohit joining the Bengaluru franchise for IPL 2025. He noted that if that were to happen, it would be a bigger deal than Hardik Pandya’s return to MI. Speaking on his YouTube channel, de Villiers stated:
“I almost laughed at the Rohit comment. That will be quite a story if Rohit moves from Mumbai Indians to RCB. Wow! Imagine the headlines. It will be bigger than Hardik Pandya’s move.”
“I don’t think there is an option there. I don’t see a possibility of MI leaving Rohit. I will give that zero or 0.1 percent chance,” he added.
In IPL 2024, playing solely as a batter, Rohit scored 417 runs in 14 matches, averaging 32.08 with a strike rate of 150, including one century and one fifty.
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