Indian Premier League 2024 auction concluded with ten teams spending INR 230.45 crore to sign 72 players on Tuesday, December 19. Fans witnessed record-shattering bids as teams went all in their effort to strengthen the squad for the IPL 2024.
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians entered the auction with INR 17.75 crore and signed as many as eight players to fill all 25 slots available. They focused on strengthening their pace attack by acquiring Gerald Coetzee, Dilshan Madhushanka and Nuwan Thushara and also added spin experience in the form of Mohammad Nabi and Shreyas Gopal.
Mumbai Indians are looking all set to enter the new season with a quality squad to mount a title challenge but questions remain over the franchise's stance over Rohit Sharma. The veteran opener was removed from the captaincy role and was replaced by returning Hardik Pandya in a surprise move by the management earlier this month.
Fans clearly showed their disappointment towards the team's decision to remove Rohit from the captaincy role. A few media reports also suggested that MI players were not happy with the team's decision and some said that the Indian captain is looking for a way out.
However, at the auction event in Dubai on Tuesday, Akash Ambani clarified Rohit's role when one fan shouted," Rohit Sharma ko wapas lao."
Akash told fans not to worry and reportedly replied that the former captain will be batting next season, "chinta mat karo woh batting karega."
In another report from Cricbuzz, an MI official also dismissed all the news around the team's stance on Rohit and confirmed that the opener will not be traded with any team.
"Rohit is not going anywhere, nor will any player," an MI official told Cricbuzz. "The news reports are totally fake and false. No MI player will be leaving us, nor will be traded by us. Every player was taken into confidence before the decision was made. Rohit too was informed, and he is very much part of the decision-making process."
