IPL 2022 Auction: 5 Players Mumbai Indians (MI) Can Target

IPL 2022 mega auctions will revamp the structure of all the franchise teams for the next edition of the Indian Premier League.

As the IPL Governing Council has allowed each franchise to retain a maximum of four players, most of the franchises utilised the provision to keep their premium players for a longer duration.

A total of 27 players were retained in the retention list by the eight existing teams.
Ace players like Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson have been retained by their respective teams ahead of the mega auction in 2022.

Five-time IPL champions kept their core players at home with skipper Rohit, ace bowler Jasprit Bumrah, senior player Kieron Pollard and stylish batter Suryakumar Yadav.

There was a toss-up between Suryakumar and wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan as both were an integral part of their set-up that won them back to back titles in 2019 and 2020.

The team had to let go of the Jharkhand player but will try their best to purchase him in the auction. Mumbai Indians also had to release the Pandya brothers and reports have suggested that they are likely to be drafted by the new entrant Ahmedabad franchise, acquired by the CVC Capital.

Mumbai Indians are left with a purse of 48 crore and let us look at the five potential players Mumbai Indians might bid for in the IPL 2022 auction.

IPL 2022 Auction: 5 Players Mumbai Indians (MI) Can Target

5) Ishan Kishan

The Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper-batter is famous for his aggressive batting style like we saw in the final league stage encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he blazed 84 off 32 balls, smashing 11 fours and four sixes.

Ishan has been with MI since 2018 and has scored 1133 runs from 45 IPL games, his highest score being 99 against RCB in IPL 2020.

Kishan was a tough choice for MI to drop and many franchises will definitely bid for him in the auction but the Mumbai outfit will leave no stone unturned to get him back.

Also Read: IPL 2022 Retention: ‘It’s Been A Journey That’s Changed My Life’ – Ishan Kishan Pens An Emotional Note After Being Released By Mumbai Indians

4) Jonny Bairstow

The England burly opener is a great striker of the ball, especially when he attacks the spinner, one can see him use minimal footwork and clear the ball over the fence.

Bairstow made his first IPL appearance for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2019 and it was a tremendous year for him to open the innings with David Warner. He ended the season with 445 runs from 10 innings at the strike rate of 157.24.

Mumbai Indians definitely need an explosive opener who can give them great starts in their innings and Bairstow can also keep behind the wickets that is an extra factor any team would want him.

Also Read: UK Prankster Jarvo 69 To Appear In Court On Charges Of Trespass After Colliding With Jonny Bairstow During England V India Oval Test

3) Rahul Tripathi

The Maharashtra batter has the ability to steal away the game from the opposition’s hand with his tactical batting brain. Tripathi accumulated 397 runs from 17 innings at an impressive strike rate of 140.28.

He played a big role in helping KKR to qualify for the IPL 2021 final. Tripathi remained calm despite his teammates getting out at the other end in Qualifier 2 against Delhi Capitals. He smashed Ashwin for a six in a nervy situation to take his side to the final.

Mumbai Indians can go for Tripathi given that he can bat in any order and score runs consistently.

2) Avesh Khan

The Madhya Pradesh pacer had a fabulous season with Delhi Capitals in IPL 2021 except for the last couple of games where he conceded too many runs in the death overs.

Avesh snapped 24 wickets from 16 games and was the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament after RCB’s Harshal Patel.

His pace and ability to execute yorkers, like he did against Hardik Pandya to rattle his stumps makes him dangerous and he can pair with Jasprit Bumrah to put pressure on the opposition.

1) Rashid Khan

The Afghanistan leg-spinner is likely to break the records of the IPL auction as every franchise will have his name in their purchasing list.

Rashid Khan has picked 93 wickets from 76 IPL games at an economy rate of 6.33 and a bowling average of 20.55.

Khan can deliver with his googlies to stun the batter and can get breakthroughs for his team at crucial junctures.

Mumbai Indians have released Rahul Chahar and why would they leave the opportunity to rope a world-class spinner in their star-studded squad.