Mumbai Indians had a torrid time in the last season finishing at the bottom of the table. For the 2nd season in a row, the MI team produced some listless performance which isn’t expected from a star-studded squad. Changes galore were expected from the team management going into the 2023 IPL mini-auctions; as expected, MI did just that during the IPL retention window.
What happened?
The 5-time IPL champions had an uncharacteristic retention time as they released 13 players from the squad representing them in the 2022 season. While there was no real surprise in any of the 12 releases made by the champion team, the major talking point was about MI letting go of Kieron Pollard.
Pollard was their primary match-winner since the IPL 2010 and has been part of the team in all their 5 victorious campaigns. However, a string of poor last few seasons ensured his sacking from the team, and subsequently, the all-rounder announced his retirement from IPL. Apart from this, MI also got the services of pacer Jason Behrendorff in the IPL trade window, and he was traded off from Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Retained Players
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Tim David, Ramandeep Singh, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Jofra Archer, Jasprit Bumrah, Arjun Tendulkar, Arshad Khan, Kumar Kartikeya, Hrithik Shokeen, Jason Behrendorff, Akash Madhwal
Released Players
Kieron Pollard, Anmolpreet Singh, Aryan Juyal, Basil Thampi, Daniel Sams, Fabian Allen, Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Markande, Murugan Ashwin, Rahul Buddhi, Riley Meredith, Sanjay Yadav, Tymal Mills
Who will they target in the upcoming Auction?
Purse remaining going into the auctions INR 20.55 crore
Players got through trade from other teams: 1- Jason Behrendorff
Overseas slots remaining to be filled: 3
With over 20 crores left, MI has much to do in the IPL auctions this December. They are faced with the difficult task of finding a suitable replacement for Kieron Pollard. Also, the top-order batting was a cause of concern for them last season, and they will need to add a quality overseas batter at the top. Similarly, they would also need a backup option for someone like Jofra Archer, who is returning from a long injury layoff.
Also, a good crop of quality Indian batters will help the most successful IPL team get back to their winning ways in the 2023 edition of the IPL.
