IPL 2025: 3 Players Mumbai Indians Can Trade Rohit Sharma With Before Mega Auction

Rohit Sharma MI-(X.com)Rohit Sharma MI-(X.com)

Preparations for the upcoming season of IPL are in full swing. The ten franchises are meeting and evaluating their plans for the forthcoming edition, as the mega-auction is around the corner. 

Meanwhile, there are reports from the Mumbai Indians camp that their ex-skipper, Rohit Sharma, might look for a new franchise for IPL 2025. Things were not well between Rohit and MI in 2024 as the five-time winners sacked Sharma as the captain and replaced him with Hardik Pandya. 

Whether Rohit will be retained, released, or instead join a new franchise via trade is uncertain. Several fans and cricket pundits have opined their views on this matter, and recently, former India opener turned analyst Aakash Chopra remarked that he feels Rohit would leave Mumbai and join a new team during the trade window.

Assuming that the hitman might leave the Ambani-backed franchise, MI can trade Rohit with three players. The list is based on BCCI's continuing with its existing model of allowing four retentions. 

1. KL Rahul 

KL Rahul is one like-to-like replacement for Rohit Sharma. There were also reports that the LSG skipper is looking for a new franchise because of his public altercation with owner Sanjiv Goenka during IPL 2024. 

The two have resolved the issues, but there are still possibilities that Rahul might look to shift base for IPL 2025. There were reports that RCB might target him, but MI and LSG can also look for a trade because a media report mentioned that the Super Giants saved their purse value for Rohit Sharma. 

2. Phil Salt 

Phil Salt is another name that Mumbai can look to trade Rohit Sharma with. Earlier, a report mentioned Rohit's desire to play for KKR if Mumbai Indians do not retain him. Thus, Phil Salt is one great option for the five-time winners, as he also amassed 435 runs for KKR in IPL 2024, including four fifties.

Also, KKR face a challenge in terms of retention, as they would look to retain Andre Russell and Sunil Narine as part of the foreign retentions allowed. 

3. David Warner

During IPL 2024's auction, Delhi Capitals saved around nine crores in their purse value, hinting at a potential big signing during the trade window. Thus, Mumbai Indians may look to trade Rohit for David Warner, who is also nearing the end of his IPL career but still has the fire left in him to provide the perfect platform at the top.