Swashbuckling Indian opener, Rohit Sharma was retained by the Mumbai Indians in the recent retention window for the upcoming Indian Premier League season.
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The franchise payed Rs. 15 crore for his retention. Nevertheless, it is reported that the Mumbai local could have been retained for Virat Kohli’s salary of Rs. 17 crore, with the opener deciding to take a pay cut in the interest of representing the franchise.
“Rohit is a leader not just on field but off it too. We have seen him dropping to No 3 or lower down the batting order at times only to bring balance to the side. And now, his selfless gesture only goes on to proves that he keeps the team’s priority over self,” a source of Times of India revealed.
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All IPL franchises announced their retentions on Thursday, with Mumbai Indians retaining captain Rohit Sharma, pacer Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
With these 3 retentions, the franchise will have Rs. 47 crore left to complete their remaining squad in the auction, which is due to take place on the 27th and 28th of January.
The 30-year-old has three IPL titles to his name, and is the most successful IPL captain in history, since taking over the reins in 2013.
The Indian opener is also the top run-scorer for the franchise. In 159 games, the Mumbai Indians skipper has smashed 4207 runs, with an average of 32.61 at a strike-rate of 130.89.
Moreover, Mumbai Indians can use their two right-to-match (RTM) cards for only foreign players, as they have already retained three Indians.
Rohit Sharma’s decision to stay at the Mumbai Indians franchise, regardless of not being paid as much as he would like, shows his dedication towards representing his hometown franchise.
The 30-year-old has been a brilliant part of Mumbai Indians franchise, and will hope to continue to serve his team very well.
