Beyond all questions about their modus operandi, Mumbai Indians present an intriguing case study on how to transition a team from rock bottom to title contenders – all in the span of a year. Now that they are reunited with Hardik Pandya – who has also been announced as the new captain, ending Rohit Sharma's tenure in that role – Mumbai Indians will have a strong foundation to build upon, when they will participate in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction on 19 December.
In this article, we will take a detailed look at Mumbai Indians’ plans ahead of the auction – from their current make-up to potential targets.
How Does MI’s Squad & XI Look Now?
The proponents of cricket-is-a-team-sport might have their arguments handy, but Hardik Pandya’s addition to the Mumbai Indians squad is a testament to the stark difference one player can make in franchise cricket. Albeit they have retained only 17 players, the five-time champions have most of the bases covered, and the available for Rs 17.75 crore should be enough for them to assemble a title-worthy squad.
Firstly, let us have a look at the players retained by MI:
Akash Madhwal, Arjun Tendulkar, Cameron Green, Dewald Brevis, Ishan Kishan, Jason Behrendorff, Jasprit Bumrah, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, N. Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera, Piyush Chawla, Rohit Sharma, Romario Shepherd (Traded), Shams Mulani, Surya Kumar Yadav, Tim David, Vishnu Vinod.
Now, let us have a look at the make-up of the current MI playing XI:
In former skipper Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma, Mumbai Indians boast of a redoubtable top four, with every member of the quartet being associated with the Indian national team currently. Add Pandya to that mix, and they have a potent top five, without having used any overseas slot yet.
Tim David will be one of Mumbai’s finishers, while they will be in the market for another – preferably a spin-bowling all-rounder. As for their bowling department, Jasprit Bumrah will spearhead the pace department like ever before, and having picked up 22 wickets in IPL 2023, Piyush Chawla can be trusted with the leadership of spinners.
What Should MI Do at the IPL 2024 Auction?
For easier comprehension, let us segregate their possible strategy according to the categories of players they might be after.
Category 1: Overseas All-Rounder
Mumbai Indians have a vacancy for the number seven role, where they can utilise an overseas slot, and might be inclined towards roping in a spin-bowling all-rounder, considering they have a pace-bowling all-rounder in Pandya.
Possible Targets:
Wanindu Hasaranga (Base Price: Rs 1.50 Crore)
From the overseas spin-bowling all-rounders who will go under the hammer, Wanindu Hasaranga will be the best option. Perhaps his price tag of Rs 10.75 was a deterrent on Royal Challengers Bangalore releasing him, but 35 wickets in 26 matches, at an average of 21.37 and at an economy rate of 8.13 runs per over – that too, while having M Chinnaswamy Stadium’s batting paradise of a track as the home ground – showcases everything one needs to know about the Sri Lankan.
The one dissuasion in Hasaranga’s case is his injury, which made him ineligible to feature in both the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup. Albeit, he is expected to be back before IPL 2024.
Michael Bracewell (Base Price: Rs 1 Crore)
Hasaranga is likely to attract multiple bidders, and considering they have the third-lowest purse, Mumbai might not be in a position to get into any bidding war. The alternative, should such a scenario arise, is to look for less expensive options, and they will find one in another former RCB player – Michael Bracewell.
A wily off-spinner, Bracewell scalped six wickets in five matches last season, one of which was that of Mumbai’s Suryakumar Yadav. Though he did not get enough opportunities to prove his calibre with the bat, a career T20 average of 29.67 hints at the Kiwi knowing a thing or two.
George Linde (Base Price: Rs 50 Lakh)
With many IPL franchises now owning teams across the globe, there is a noticeable bid to inculcate continuity by having a few common faces across all leagues. Should Mumbai opt to take that route, George Linde will be a perfect fit.
The South African all-rounder was among the better performers for MI Cape Town in SA20, picking up six wickets with his left-arm orthodox spin, whilst also scoring 157 runs.
Category 2: Overseas Pacer
Having released five overseas pacers, namely – Chris Jordan, Jhye Richardson, Jofra Archer, Duan Jansen and Riley Meredith – it is certain that MI will invest heavily in foreign quicks. According to the current make-up of their playing XI, Rohit Sharma’s side has the vacancy for not one, but two overseas pacers.
Possible Targets:
Mitchell Starc (Base Price: Rs 2 Crore)
In Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell McCleneghan, Mumbai Indians have had left-arm quicks helping them win trophies in the past. To extend the tradition, they might sign a third Mitchell, in Australia’s Mitchell Starc.
Returning to IPL after nine years, Starc will be a player in demand following in ODI World Cup exploits, where he picked up 20 wickets, including three wickets in the final against India.
Josh Hazlewood (Base Price: Rs 2 Crore)
Like Hasaranga’s case, Mumbai’s purse might prevent them from joining what seems like an inevitable bidding war for Starc. They could hence divert their focus to his Australian teammate, Josh Hazlewood.
Equally brilliant at the World Cup, Hazlewood too picked up 16 wickets, two of which came in the final. While not known for his prowess in the shortest format, Hazlewood has 58 T20I wickets to his name in 41 matches, and in equal IPL matches, outnumbers Starc’s tally by one wicket. Should he join MI, it will be a reunion as he was a part of Rohit’s team in 2014, though he did not feature in any match.
Gerald Coetzee (Base Price: Rs 2 Crore)
Following a similar pattern, our next mention was also among the more influential pacers at the World Cup, except his numbers were better than those of Starc and Hazlewood. In only his maiden appearance in the competition, South African quick Gerald Coetzee picked up 20 wickets, becoming the first bowler from the rainbow nation to do so in a single edition of the World Cup.
What stands out from Coetzee’s numbers is his wickets column in any given competition. The 23-year-old scalped 23 wickets at the SA20, emerging as the tournament’s third-highest wicket-taker. He also picked up three wickets in his last T20I appearance against India.
Category: Indian Pacer
The two categories we have already discussed are where Mumbai are likely to spend most of their money on. Should they still have something left, they could do with another Indian pacer to add to the mix of Akash Madhwal and Arjun Tendulkar.
Possible Targets:
Shivam Mavi (Base Price: Rs 50 Lakh)
The promise shown at the 2018 ICC U19 World Cup might have evaded Shivam Mavi, but to be fair to the youngster, he has had to deal with injury troubles. All said and done, he still has the ability to be considered a quality addition to any team, as testified by his 30 IPL wickets.
He made his T20I debut under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy earlier this year, where he recorded a four-fer. Having played with the all-rounder in Gujarat Titans as well, the pair could share the dressing room again.
Kartik Tyagi (Base Price: Rs 20 Lakh)
Mumbai Indians were among the four teams to bid for Kartik Tyagi at the IPL 2022 auction, and went as far as Rs 3.80 crore, before losing out to a Rs 4 crore bid from Sunrisers Hyderabad. The move, however, did not work out, as the pacer from Uttar Pradesh found himself surplus to requirements, and got only five opportunities in the last four seasons.
But those who watched Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2020 will vividly remember a young Tyagi picking up nine wickets, including a remarkable last over against Punjab Kings, where he defended four runs. Tyagi has also been in good form, having scalped three three-wicket hauls in his last five domestic matches.
Umesh Yadav (Base Price: Rs 2 Crore)
In case MI decide against signing another comparatively inexperienced pacer and prefer a veteran who might not burn a hole in their pockets, Umesh Yadav will be the answer to their questions.
IPL 2022 – which did not happen a million years ago – saw Yadav picking up 16 wickets in 12 matches. He also had an excellent 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign, recording 15 wickets in six matches for Vidarbha.
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