Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya is a perfect example of rags to riches story. From ₹10 lakh base price to earning ₹11 crores – the all-rounder from Baroda has come a long way. And now, ahead of IPL 2021, Hardik has leapfrogged Mumbai Indians legend Sachin Tendulkar in terms of earnings.
Meanwhile, available at a base price of ₹10 lakh, Hardik Pandya found no buyers the first time he entered the auction in 2014. The next time Mumbai Indians (MI) was the only franchise to bid for him and picked the all-rounder at his base price of ₹10 lakh.
The next time around, Hardik was already a capped player having made his international debut in January 2016 against Australia in Adelaide. His hard-hitting prowess has impressed one and all and now, Hardik Pandya is one of the important stakeholders in India’s limited-overs side.
Hardik Pandya goes past Sachin Tendulkar
In 2018, Hardik was the only second player to be retained by Mumbai Indians and now he has now leapfrogged none other than Sachin Tendulkar on the list of highest earners in IPL. With a salary of ₹44.3 crores, he now sits at the 33rd spot.
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Tendulkar, who had joined Mumbai Indians as an icon player in 2008, had finished his career after earning a salary of Rs 38.29 crore. Hardik Pandya was close to Tendulkar’s tally last season and leapfrogged the Master Blaster after MI retained him for IPL 2021.
The young all-rounder continued at his base price of ₹10 lakh since 2017 while his income rocketed to ₹11 crores when there was a mega-auction in 2018. Meanwhile, not only Hardik Pandya, his brother Krunal Pandya also went past Sachin Tendulkar in terms of income.
Krunal had first joined MI for Rs 2 crore, in 2016, and earned the same amount in 2017 as well. In 2018, Krunal shattered past records when MI raised their Right to Match (RTM) card after Royal Challengers Bangalore bought him for Rs 8.8 crore. Krunal was uncapped back then.
The amount still remains to be the highest cheque drawn by an uncapped player. In total, Krunal has drawn Rs 39.2 Crore, which sees him sit ahead of the Master Blaster.