Reports : Hardik Pandya keen to be in next season’s IPL auction pool

In the recent past, Pandya has risen rapidly on the international cricket circuit and has become a crucial member of the limited-overs Indian squad. He made his T20I debut against Australia in January and till now he has already accumulated 21 T20I caps. Pandya has played 37 matches in the cash-rich league in which he has scored 406 runs at the strike rate of 142.45 along with 10 IPL wickets showcasing his talents as a capable allrounder.

Mumbai Indians paid just Rs 10 lakh to snag up the youngster two seasons ago and after his debut for India, MI hiked his fees to Rs 20 lakh for the 2016 season. 

According to the report in THe Times of India, Pandya has informed the BCCI about his desire to be a part of the mega-auction that is scheduled to take place in 2018. 

"Hardik wants to be at the auction and the rule says that if he isn't ready to play for Mumbai Indians, he can certainly be at the auction," a top board official said on Friday quoted by TOI.

The IPL governing council has already proposed the retention policy ahead of the mega auction, which will be finalized after the discussion with the eight franchises. It has also learned that the MI wanted to retain Pandya and they are ready to give the extra hike to him. But after watching Pandya’s performance, other teams would be willing to shell out the big bucks for the Indian star. 

"Pandya could be the next big thing in the IPL if he is at the auction. After all, the teams will retain big India players like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Rohit Sharma," sources said.