IPL 2018: Hardik Pandya denies reports of leaving Mumbai Indians

What's the story?

During the limited-overs series against New Zealand, there were reports that Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya wants to leave Mumbai Indians but the 24-year-old dismissed those rumours and admitted he was disappointed when he heard the news.

Speaking to News 18, Hardik Pandya said: “I was disappointed when I heard this news because this is false. This team has given me everything. Why would I leave it? My life changed when I got a chance to play for MI (Mumbai Indians) and then I never looked back.

I had a small failure and that’s why I learned to be even more professional. You need to understand that some things are bad. That’s how you improve in life.”

In case you didn't know...

The all-rounder from Baroda joined Mumbai Indians in 2013 for just Rs. 10 lakhs. In the last three seasons, he has developed into an integral part of the MI set-up that has won two IPL titles and has also gone on to represent India across all three formats. However, there were reports that the all-rounder was seeking a move away from the reigning IPL champions in order and wanted to be in the IPL Auction, which would make him an in-demand player for all the teams.

The heart of the matter

Along with Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik has been the backbone of the Mumbai side that has won two IPL titles in three years. But considering that he was bought for just Rs 10 lakhs and his salary only doubled ahead of IPL 2016 when his brother Krunal Pandya was bought for Rs 2 crore by Mumbai Indians, there were reports that the 24-year-old is eager to put his name in the auction to ensure he gets a bigger bite of the pie in the 11th edition of the Indian Premier League.

What's next?

Although an integral part of India's squads across all three formats, the all-rounder has been rested for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. With no confirmation yet regarding the number of players that can be retained ahead of the auction for IPL 2018, it will be interesting to see who the Mumbai Indians opt to keep.

Author's take

Since breaking into the scene with Mumbai Indians, the all-rounder's career has gone through the roof. He has become an integral part of India's side across formats and he owes a great debt to Mumbai Indians for that. While those rumours might have made sense in a financial perspective, Pandya's comments certainly indicate that he is certainly in no hurry to leave the side that helped him step into the national and international limelight.