With Rohit Sharna's future at Mumbai Indians a matter of speculation, all eyes will be on the Indian Premier League mega auction to be held later this year.
There is lot of intrigue surrounding number for players the 10 franchises can retain from their current roster and fans and critics will see if MI can retain all their superstars that include Rohit, last season's captain Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and India's latest T20 skipper Suryakumar Yadav.
With rumours swirling that the Sanjiv Goenka-owned Lucknow Super Giant is open to offer Rohit a Rs 50 crore salary package in order to get his services, Goenka has finally responded.
Speaking to Sports Tak, Goenka said: 'You tell me one thing, do you, or anybody know, whether Rohit Sharma is coming to the auctions or not? All these speculations are without any reason.
'Whether Mumbai Indians will release Rohit Sharma or not, whether he is coming to the auction or not, even if he comes if you are going to use 50 per cent of your salary cap on one player, how will you manage the other 22 players?' Sanjiv Goenka asked.
When asked if Rohit was on his wishlist, Goenka was cryptic.
'Everybody has got a wishlist. You want best player, best captain to be in your team. It is not about wanting. What you have got and what is available. What can you do with that. This is that thing. I can want anyone but the same goes for all the franchises. You will not get everyone,' he replied.
One franchise that has publicly expressed interest in Rohit is the Punjab Kings.
'It all depends on whether we have the money in our pockets,' Bangar told the RAO Podcast Youtube channel.
'If Rohit comes in the auction, I certainly believe, he is going to go for a high price.'
Ravichandran Ashwin reckons that Rohit will not leave the Mumbai Indians franchise and will continue playing for the franchise next season.
Last year, Hardik replaced Rohit as the skipper of one of the most successful franchises in the history of the tournament.
The decision from the franchise didn't go down well with some sections of the fanbase leading to criticism of the franchise management and Hardik.
'Even if you think like Rohit, it's not wrong at all. 'I don't want any headache. I have been a captain for India. I have captained Mumbai many times. Even if I am not a captain, I am going to Mumbai happily. If I play for Mumbai, it's super'.
'I am sure most players are like that. After a stage, money doesn't matter for some of those players. That's the thing,' Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Rohit had a decent IPL 2024 season with the bat, scoring 417 runs at an average of 32.07 and a strike rate of 150. He scored a century and fifty, with the best score of 105 not out.
The 'Hitman' is MI's all-time highest run-getter, scoring 5,357 runs in 208 matches and 204 innings at an average of 29.59 and a strike rate of almost 130, with a century and 35 fifties in 204 innings.
The veteran batter is also the fourth-highest run-getter in IPL history, scoring 6,254 runs in 244 matches at an average of 29.63 and a strike rate of 130.15. He scored a century and 42 fifties in 239 innings, with the best score of 109 not out.
