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Mumbai Indians have eight slots to fill in the IPL 2024 auction [X.com]
To the delight of fans across the globe, the much-awaited IPL mini auction will be conducted in Mumbai on 19th December. Ten franchises will be looking forward to maximising their remaining budget in an event, which will see 1166 players going under the hammer.
Talking about Mumbai Indians, the five-time champions retained most of their key players besides trading Hardik Pandya into their squad for a whopping 15 Cr amount. They also traded Cameron Green to RCB, while bringing in Romario Shepherd through an all-cash deal worth 50 Lakhs with LSG.
The Rohit Sharma-led side also released a few non-performing players, including injury-prone English pacer Jofra Archer, who barely represented them during his two-year stint. Tristan Stubbs, Riley Meredith and Chris Jordan also faced the axe following their prolonged underwhelming returns for the franchise.
So, moving on to the IPL 2024 auction, Mumbai Indians have eight slots, including four overseas, to fill, with their budget reading a reasonable INR 17.75 Crores.
MI - IPL 2024 Retained Players
Rohit Sharma (C), Dewald Brevis, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Hardik Pandya (Traded from Gujarat Titans), Romario Shepherd (Traded from Lucknow Super Giants), Vishnu Vinod, Arjun Tendulkar, Shams Mulani, Nehal Wadhera, Jasprit Bumrah, Kumar Kartikeya, Piyush Chawla, Akash Madhwal, Jason Behrendorff
Purse Remaining: INR 17.75 Crores
Slots Available: 8
Overseas Slots: 4
IPL 2024 - MI Squad Analysis
To decode MI's possible strategy for the IPL 2024 auction, we must first analyse their current squad.
Strengths of MI for IPL 2024
Incredible batting depth
Mumbai Indians have a robust batting lineup, comprising Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav and Tim David, alongside two genuine all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Romario Shepherd.
Mumbai Indians have an exceptional batting unit [X.com]
Their batting lineup is capable of sending shivers down the opponents' spine, as it's an excellent blend of reliability and brutality.
The fact that MI have Dewald Brevis, Vishnu Vinod and Nehal Wadhera as their reserve batters speak volumes of their insane batting depth in the competition. So, they should be least interested about picking another high-budget batter in the upcoming auction.
Number of bowling options
Besides four genuine bowlers, MI have Hardik Pandya and Romario Shepherd, who can chip in with a couple of overs in every game. Furthermore, Tim David and Tilak Varma can also roll their arms at times when the main bowlers have an off day.
The luxury of having around six to seven bowling options in their first-choice playing XI will likely encourage MI to go after specialists, ignoring some high-budget bits and pieces players like Shardul Thakur and Harshal Patel in the mini auction.
Weaknesses of MI for IPL 2024
Lack of quality in spin department
Mumbai Indians have always ensured ruthlessness in their batting and pace bowling, while it's their spin bowling that gets compromised every season.
They have three spinners- Piyush Chawla, Kumar Kartikeya and Shams Mulani, but none of them can run through the opposition in the middle overs.
It's understandable from their perspective to buy low-budget spin options, as they have the seam-friendly Wankhede Stadium as their home ground. Still, if there's something they should seriously think to fine-tune before the IPL 2024, it's undoubtedly their spin bowling unit.
Lack of pace bowling options
MI must add several pacers to their squad to assist Bumrah [X.com]
Barring Jasprit Bumrah, Mumbai Indians have only two specialists- Jason Behrendorff and Akash Madhwal- in their pace bowling department.
While Behrendorff forms a decent new ball bowling pair with Bumrah, Madhwal's exploits in the last season makes him an automatic choice for the third seamer's role in the starting XI.
However, having said that, MI must be aware of the fact that they have only three frontline pacers in their squad and should look forward to adding a few more quality options to the arsenal.
Areas to fill for MI in IPL 2024 Auction
A spinner who can be effective in the middle overs
Considering the quality they have in their spin department, we reckon MI should buy a quality spinner to make their bowling lineup more formidable in the middle overs.
Overseas fast bowlers
As MI have a solid Indian batting core, they should concentrate on shaping their fast bowling by buying some overseas speedsters of good quality.
An Indian pacer as the backup for Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah's workload management should be the foremost priority for Mumbai Indians, as he has recently recovered from a back injury. Therefore, they should get a few Indian pacers who they can use as backups for the premier fast bowler at any stage of the tournament.
Possible Target Players for MI in IPL 2024 Auction
Gerald Coetzee: The South African speedster recently grabbed the eyeballs through his scintillating performances in the ODI World Cup. Hailed for his aggression and deceptive pace, Coetzee scalped 20 wickets in eight matches, making himself a hot pick in the IPL auction.
Alzarri Joseph: The ace West Indian pacer has previously represented Mumbai Indians in the IPL and is known for his ability to hit the deck hard. His availability has never been an issue and he is second to none in terms of quality.
Kartik Tyagi: The promising Indian pacer was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad before the IPL mini auction. As someone who can move the ball and hit the deck at high pace, Tyagi could also be in MI's wishlist during the mini auction, as he can emerge as an able backup for Jasprit Bumrah.
Lockie Ferguson: The experienced speedster from New Zealand could be a great addition to MI's bowling department, as he can hit the deck and nail yorkers at will in the slog overs.
Rovman Powell: Renowned as a clean striker of the ball, Rovman Powell could be a decent backup for Tim David, who blew hot and cold in the previous season. The presence of excellent spin hitters around him in MI's lineup will give Powell the license to unleash his beast mode against the pacers.
Akeal Hosein: The left-arm spinner from West Indies could also be a decent buy for Mumbai Indians, as he can not only add value to their spin department but also score handy runs down the order.
Besides the aforementioned names, MI could also bid for players like Pat Cummins, Adam Milne, Keshav Maharaj, Shivam Mavi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sam Hain and Sherfane Rutherford in the IPL 2024 mini auction.
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