Reports: Hardik Pandya expresses his desire to go under the hammer for IPL 2018 auction

What's the story?

According to reports emerging from The Times of India, Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is keen to find a new club ahead of the Indian Premier League 2018 season and part ways with the Mumbai Indians.

"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.

"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.

In case you didn't know...

Just a few days ago, BCCI officials had proposed the idea of team owners retaining up to three players for the upcoming season.

However, a few days after that, reports suggested that a few team owners were against the idea of player retention and wanted all of them to go under the hammer.

The details

Pandya made his IPL debut in 2015 and has been an integral part of the Mumbai Indians squad ever since. He played a big role in their title-winning success in 2015 and 2017.

It was his success in the IPL which led to his national call-up. He made his debut with the Men in Blue towards the end of 2016 and has cemented his place in the squad with some amazing performances with the bat and the ball.

What's next?

The final rules regarding player retention and other policies will be finalised on November 14.

Author's take

The enigmatic all-rounder has lit up the IPL with his performances over the past few years and will surely fetch big bucks at the auctions next year.

He was bought for just 10 lakhs back in 2015 and if he goes under the hammer, he could challenge the likes of Ben Stokes for the most expensive player next year.