Experienced all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Thursday has given the hint that he may not return to his old IPL franchise Mumbai Indians for the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after he wasn’t retained by the five-time winning franchise on Wednesday as well.
Hardik, however, posted cryptic tweets in which he thanked Mumbai Indians for his association with the team for which he has played for the last few years.
“My journey with @mipaltan. I’ll carry these memories with me for the rest of my life, I’ll carry these moments with me for the rest of my life. The friends I’ve made, the bonds that were formed, the people, the fans, I’ll always be grateful. I’ve grown not just as a player but…
“.. as a person. I came here as a youngster with big dreams: we won together, we lost together, we fought together. Every moment with this team has a special place in my heart. They say all good things must end but @mipaltan will remain in my heart forever,” Hardik Pandya tweeted.
.. as a person. I came here as a youngster with big dreams: we won together, we lost together, we fought together. Every moment with this team has a special place in my heart. They say all good things must end but @mipaltan will remain in my heart forever ❤️ pic.twitter.com/zn1PWCEYbp
— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) December 2, 2021
Hardik Pandya has scored 1476 runs for Mumbai Indians in IPL so far which came at an average of 27.33 and picked 42 wickets as well.
Mumbai Indians, however, retained captain Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Kieron Pollard, and Suryakumar Yadav for IPL 2022. The five-time IPL champions will have their task cut out if they want to bring back Hardik Pandya to the team.
Notably, IPL retention rules allow franchises to retain four players out of which two can be overseas cricketers as well. The franchise will be spending Rs 42 crore if they retain 4 players, leaving them with Rs 48 crore to spend in the mega-auctions of the Indian Premier League, slated to take place in January.
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