IPL 2018 retained players: Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah stay with Mumbai Indians

Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya were crucial in Mumbai Indians’ succesful campaign last season.

Mumbai Indians have decided to retain their Indian core. Captain Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are the players who have found a place in the defending champions’ retention list. The franchises were supposed to submit the list of players they intend to retain before the auctions for the 2018 season by 5 PM on January 4.

Mumbai Indians’ transformation from perpetual underperformers to being the most decorated team in the league started after Rohit Sharma was appointed as captain. Rohit replaced Ricky Ponting in the 2013 season and led them to their first title the same year.Their win in 2017 was their third title, the most won by any team in the league’s 10-year history. Bumrah and the Hardik Pandya played a significant role in the Mumbai Indians’ win last season. Pandya took six scalps and scored 250 runs. Jasprit Bumrah established himself as one of the best death bowlers in the league and, with 20 scalps, was the third highest wicket-taker.

Paltan, here are the 3⃣ retained champions!@ImRo45, @hardikpandya7 & @Jaspritbumrah93 will continue to entertain you in MI colours. 🙌#CricketMeriJaan #VivoIPLretention pic.twitter.com/ZxRGUwDaiL

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) 4 January 2018

Mumbai Indians have opted not to retain pacer Lasith Malinga and Kieron Pollard. Malinga has been with Mumbai since the first season of the IPL while Pollard has been with them since 2010. Malinga’s poor run in international cricket reflected in the IPL last season in which he managed to take just 11.

They also decided not to include Hardik’s brother Krunal Pandya in the list although the latter’s all round performances came handy last season for the champions. Harbhajan Singh is another notable absentee alongwith Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson has also been ignored for retention. It has to be noted, though, that Mumbai can retain two more players through the right to match rule during the auctions that are scheduled to be held on January 27 and 28.