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Opinion
‘If it ain’t broken, do not fix it’ is the strategy that the Mumbai Indians will most potentially likely to go for.
1. Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper)
For years, the Mumbai Indians have persisted with a primary foreign wicketkeeper (with Quinton de Kock and Jos Buttler).
While de Kock remains an ideal choice, already familiar with the the Mumbai Indians’ set-up and culture, other teams like Chennai Super Kings or perhaps even Punjab Kings will have their eyes on him.
Jonny Bairstow has traditionally been strong and is a type of player who would feast on a Wankhede track. There is every reason to believe that they will bid for him.
Alternatives: Quinton de Kock, Alex Carey and Matthew Wade
2. Rohit Sharma (captain)
Not much needs to be said here. The India skipper is an automatic selection and he will most likely continue to open for the Mumbai Indians.
(Photo: Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP via Getty Images)
Alternatives: N/A as he was retained.
3. Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav saw his stocks really rise with Mumbai to an extent where he is now seen as an India white-ball regular.
It is likely he will now be the permanent number three for the Mumbai Indians and his selection is just a granted at this point in time.
Alternatives: N/A as he was retained.
4. Saurabh Tiwary
When Ishan Kishan or Suryakumar Yadav were out of the squad for any reason, Saurabh Tiwary would substitute in and provide a performance with equal calibre to them to an extent that they were not really missed.
With the departure of Ishan Kishan and Saurabh Tiwary being not as prime in terms of auction demand, the Mumbai Indians will try to buy him back.
Alternatives: Nitesh Rana and Suresh Raina
5. Kieron Pollard
The vice-captain of the Mumbai Indians and the captain of the West Indies, his finishing abilities along with experience was always going to be of sacred value to the squad.
Hence, his retention was a bit of a no brainer.
(Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
Alternatives: N/A as he was retained.
6. Ben Stokes
He is arguably the most expensive gamble in this prediction, as Stokes is likely to invite a fierce bidding war, with the Royals or one of the newer teams.
The Mumbai Indians would want someone equal or in this case even better than Hardik Pandya to fill the second all-rounder role.
With Venkatesh Iyer already retained by the Kolkata Knight Riders and Vijay Shankar arguably a controversial inclusion, the Mumbai Indians will opt for a foreign all-rounder who can bat and bowl with respectable potency.
Ben Stokes just ticks all the boxes, in batting, bowling and even in fielding.
Alternatives: Marcus Stoinis and Jimmy Neesham
7. Lalit Yadav
An under-spoken-about player in the last IPL, Lalit Yadav impressed for the Delhi Capitals and is someone in an ideal spot to take over Krunal role’s in the the Mumbai Indians’ squad.
With potential even in batting, he will also be a long-term prospect for the Mumbai Indians. And the Mumbai Indians are notorious for hunting young Indian talent. This is where Lalit Yadav fits all the criteria.
Alternatives: Rahul Tewatia and Krunal Pandya
8. Jayant Yadav
An interesting trend was observed whenever Mumbai played Delhi: Jayant Yadav was always an inclusion and performed well.
He has recently found his way back into the Indian Test team and it is possible that he will now be in contention in the IPL.
Already familiar with the the Mumbai Indians’ culture, it would not be surprising if they bid for him again.
Alternatives: Rahul Chahar and Kuldeep Yadav
9. Trent Boult
When Delhi Capitals traded Trent Boult to the Mumbai Indians, they would have not thought that he was the obstacle between them and the 2020 IPL title. But that is just how great Trent Boult has been both for Mumbai and New Zealand.
It is likely he will prompt a bidding war, but with Jasprit Bumrah, he has managed to form a deadly pace duo.
Alternatives: N/A as he was retained.
(Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)
10. Navdeep Saini
The third pacer was traditionally filled by an overseas player (from Marco Jansen to Nathan Coulter-Nile to Adam Milne).
But now with an abundance of Indian pacers, the Mumbai Indians will opt for an Indian domestic player to also give them more overseas flexibility in the middle order in the absence of the Pandyas.
Navdeep Saini was good for Bangalore but with the rise of Mohammed Siraj, he was somewhat sidelined and there is every possibility he will be one of those Indian pacers targeted by many teams for their playing XIs, including the Mumbai Indians.
Alternatives: Prasidh Krishna, Chetan Sakariya and Avesh Khan
11. Jasprit Bumrah
Well, Jasprit Bumrah is one of the best bowlers in all the formats in international cricket.
Therefore, his retention was not surprising and his inclusion is always going to be a given.
It will be interesting to see if Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard invite him to the leadership group of the Mumbai Indians as Jasprit Bumrah develops as a player.
Alternatives: N/A as he was retained.
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