Mumbai Indians hogged all the limelight when it came to the IPL 2024 auction retention and released as they roped back in Hardik Pandya ahead of the IPL 2024 auction.
Pandya had been with Mumbai from 2015 to 2021 before being released. He joined Gujarat Titans and took them to success – one IPL title and one runner-up finish.
Hardik Pandya’s return was sealed at his salary of INR 15 crore, but he will also get an undisclosed percentage from the transfer fee that MI will pay to GT. You would be shocked to know that Hardik’s salary of INR 15 crore at MI is not even in the top three most expensive players MI have ever had.
Top 5 most expensive players for Mumbai Indians ever:
Cameron Green – INR 17.5 crore
At 17.5 crore, Cameron Green is the second-most expensive IPL player ever, just behind Sam Curran’s INR 18.5 crore by Punjab Kings. MI made their biggest-ever auction purchase of Green for INR 17.5 crore in the IPL 2023 auction.
Green had a bumper season in IPL 2023, scoring 452 runs at a strike rate of 160, hitting one century and 2 fifties, and also took 6 wickets. However, MI had to trade Green away to RCB to make purse for Hardik’s return.
Rohit Sharma – 16 crore
Rohit Sharma joined Mumbai Indians in 2011 for 9.2 crore and became MI’s skipper in 2013. All of MI’s five IPL titles have come under Rohit’s captaincy. In the 2022 IPL, Rohit’s salary was increased to INR 16 crore. For the Mumbai Indians, Rohit has amassed over 5000 runs, but his most memorable contribution remains the 5 IPL trophies and the legacy.
Ishan Kishan – 15.25 crore
Ishan Kishan is part of MI’s future project. Being a double-characteristic player – an opener and a wicket-keeper – and being young, Kishan got a massive bid of INR 15.25 crore from MI in the IPL 2022 mega-auction. Kishan had already spent four seasons from 2018 to 2021 and MI, but they didn’t retain him. However, MI was successful in getting back Kishan, though for a big amount.
Hardik Pandya – 15 crore
Hardik Pandya is now back at Mumbai Indians. His salary of INR 15 crore remains the same as it was at GT in the last two seasons, though he would get a significant amount of the transfer fee and other endorsements upon joining MI. Hardik won 4 titles with MI in his 7 seasons, and now he’s back to continue the legacy of MI.
Jasprit Bumrah – 12 crore
Jasprit Bumrah might just be the most irreplaceable player in the Mumbai Indians unit. Without him, even though MI reached the playoffs last season, they couldn’t reach the final. Bumrah has played all his IPL career, which started in 2013, for MI, picking up 145 wickets and winning 5 titles along with Rohit and Pollard.
