Indian cricket's latest sensation, all-rounder Hardik Pandya is determined to be available for auctions for the 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League, the Times of India reported.
The 24-year-old all-rounder has been part of the Mumbai Indians squad for the past two seasons. He was brought on board by the franchise for Rs 10 lakhs, though it was doubled before the start of the 2017 season.
Hardik has already let the BCCI officials know of his intention to be available in the auction fray for the coming season.
Given his magnificent performance with the national side in recent times, Mumbai Indians will be doing everything possible to make him stay.
The team, which had spent Rs 2 crore on Hardik's elder brother Krunal Pandya last season, will have to come up with a more tempting offer for the younger Pandya now.
At a strike rate of 142, Pandya so far has scored 406 runs from 33 appearances so far in the IPL, apart from clinching 10 wickets.
Given his magnificent show with the national side in recent times, Mumbai Indians will be doing everything possible to make him stay. The team, which had spent Rs 2 crore on Hardik's elder brother Krunal Pandya last season, will have to come up with a more tempting offer for the younger Pandya now.
If Mumbai Indians fail to retain him along with skipper Rohit Sharma, it is beyond question that all the large-spending sides will be after the right-hander who is in sublime form with both bat and ball for quite some time now.
All this, however, depends upon the BCCI 's retention policy for the tournament, which is yet to be finalised. Only after the body's board meeting scheduled for November 14, anything can be confirmed on the matter. None of the teams, except the Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings, are much excited about the policy.
Pandya so far has claimed 31 wickets and scored 576 runs from 18 ODIs so far, hitting 30 sixes and 34 fours. His T20I performance includes 16 wickets and 125 runs (11 innings) from 21 matches. He has secured a hundred and a fifty from just three-Test innings as well.