'Various aspects and angles are taken into consideration' – Zaheer Khan on Mumbai Indians not retaining Hardik Pandya

The IPL 2022 auction is going to be the biggest in terms of the players who are going to be in the auction pool and the amount of purse each team will have. Also, the addition of two new teams makes this auction a one of a kind event. The eight franchises have already released their retention list ahead of the auction and it contained a few surprises.

Mumbai Indians, the most successful teams in IPL decided to retain Rohit Sharma (INR 16 crores), Jasprit Bumrah (INR 12 crores), Suryakumar Yadav (INR 8 crores), and Kieron Pollard (INR 6 crores). A few key players like Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, and Krunal Pandya, who have won a few trophies with the team were not there in the list of players retained.

Zaheer Khan who is a part of the Mumbai Indians think tank revealed that retention is a complex process and it contains various aspects and angles. Khan is confident that Hardik will regain his full fitness and might make a comeback very soon.

“Absolutely (Hardik can regain his full fitness). Hardik is very keen on that. The retention calls usually take into consideration various aspects and angles. The debates are usually very long (laughs). It is not an easy process when you set yourself up for a big auction and say goodbye to all players with a heavy heart with whom you spent a lot of time and energy,” Khan said during an interview with TimesofIndia.com.

“Maybe the wait is a little longer” – Zaheer Khan on India’s search for a left-arm pacer

Left-arm pacer is a rare talent in the Indian setup and the Indian team has not been able to find someone for a long time. Bowlers like Barinder Sran, Jaydev Unadkat, and Khaleel Ahmed tried their luck at the highest level but failed to deliver in a long run. T Natarajan who made his debut during India’s tour of Australia contributed a lot in all forms of the game, but a series of injuries have ruled him out of contention in the Indian team.

Khan, who is regarded as the best Indian left-arm pacer mentioned that there are plenty of great talents in domestic cricket and that India has been waiting to include a left-arm pacer in the squad for a long time.

“There are plenty of good talents in the circuit. It is just about the timing. Maybe the wait is a little longer (laughs). If you have that kind of option (left-arm pace), it’s a luxury. But you need to get someone ready to play at the highest level,” Khan said.