Five IPL teams eye Hardik Pandya ahead of retention deadline
Pandya attracts five-team interest as retention window extends to November 17.
Some IPL players are seeking retention fees of Rs 40 crore ahead of the December 16 mini-auction in Goa. The current team purse stands at Rs 120 crore, with an expected rise to Rs 150 crore before the 2028 mega-auction.
Hardik Pandya has drawn interest from five franchises, while Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer were retained at Rs 27 crore and Rs 26.75 crore respectively in the previous mega-auction. Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad completed a four-player trade that sent Liam Livingstone and Jack Edwards to CSK in exchange for Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis.
The retention deadline has been extended to November 17. Franchises must finalise lists before the Goa auction opens.
CricHubb Take
Pandya's market value tests whether franchises will stretch the Rs 120 crore purse now or save flexibility for the larger 2028 auction, turning this mini-window into a dry run for future salary-cap planning.