"It will be fascinating to see which team bids for him" - Harbhajan Singh expects bidding war for Rohit Sharma at IPL 2025 auction

Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh expects a fascinating bidding war among teams for Rohit Sharma should he enter the 2025 IPL auction. With the rules and regulations announced by the IPL ahead of the Mega auction, teams can retain up to five capped and six overall players through straight retention or the Right-To-Match (RTM) card.

However, with the fourth and fifth retentions also priced at ₹ 18 and ₹ crores like the first two retentions, teams will be wary of going beyond three retentions. It is also worth remembering that Rohit was replaced by Hardik Pandya as MI captain ahead of the 2024 IPL season.

Speaking on the sidelines of an event in Delhi about Rohit possibly entering the auction, Harbhajan Singh was quoted by Times of India as saying:

"It will be interesting to see whether he will be retained or not. If he goes into the auction pool, it will be fascinating to see which team bids for him. I’m sure many teams must be thinking along those lines."

He added:

"Rohit Sharma, as a leader and a player, is amazing. He’s a top-quality player, top-quality captain, and leader. He’s a proven match-winner. Even at 37, he still has a lot of cricket left in him. If Rohit enters the auction, he will fetch big bucks. It will be exciting to see the auction unfold."

Rohit had an inconsistent 2024 IPL season with the bat, scoring 417 runs at an average of 32.08 and a strike rate of 150 in 14 outings.

However, MI endured a forgettable campaign, winning only four out of their 14 matches and finishing at the bottom of the points table.

"He respects his elders, and that’s one of his best qualities" - Harbhajan Singh

Australia v India - ICC World Test Championship Final 2023: Day Three - Source: Getty

Harbhajan Singh further praised Rohit Sharma for the person he is off the field and how respectful he is to his elders.

Harbhajan played with MI from 2008 to 2017 and under Rohit during his final five years with the franchise, helping them win three of their five IPL titles.

"Rohit toh yaaro ka yaar hai. Apna bhai hai. I’m happy India won the World Cup under him. It’s always great to see him smiling. He respects his elders, and that’s one of his best qualities," said Harbhajan.

Rohit led MI to all five of their IPL titles and recently captained India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title.