Following a disastrous season in the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the five-time winners Mumbai Indians went shopping, acquiring players like Cameron Green, Jhye Richardson, Piyush Chawla, and Shams Mulani, among others, ahead of the new season. Kieron Pollard, their ever-dependable all-rounder, has declared his retirement from the cash-rich competition, while the team has opted to dismiss a number of outstanding players, including Jaydev Unadkat, Daniel Sams, and Fabian Allen, among others.
Thus, the Rohit Sharma-led team has made significant changes to the roster and is once again looking like a championship contender. They currently have a plethora of high-quality alternatives and numerous players who can be game-changers. However, not all players will be able to flourish in the competition. Because the organisation does not like to chop and shift its starting XI, the Mumbai jersey will be worn by a definite number of players in the next season. Other players, on the other hand, will have to wait their turn.
Here are three players who may not be able to represent MI in 2023.
Number 1. Vishnu Vinod
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Vishnu Vinod is third in the Mumbai Indians’ pecking order. Ishan Kishan is the preferred wicket-keeper, with Tristan Stubbs serving as his backup. As a result, despite doing quite well in the domestic competition throughout the years, Vishnu may spend the whole season on the bench.
The 29-year-old has 1191 runs with a strike rate of 138.81 in 50 T20 outings. In the history of the Indian Premier League, he appeared in just three matches, scoring 19 runs.
He also performed poorly in the most recent edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, making it very tough for him to make the cut. Vinod, on the other hand, has the potential to be an impact player if he can show himself in the nets, which seems doubtful considering Mumbai’s bench strength.
Number 2. Arjun Tendulkar
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Despite being a member of the Mumbai-based franchise for a long time, Arjun Tendulkar is yet to make his IPL debut. When the Rohit Sharma-led team was performing poorly in the previous edition, it was believed that the franchise would give Arjun his first chance, but that never happened.
As a result, even if Mumbai upgraded their bowling order greatly this year, the 23-year-old is unlikely to get his maiden chance. After not receiving enough domestic cricket chances for Mumbai, the teenager opted to train with Yograj Singh before making his debut for Goa in 2022.
He has done quite well in domestic cricket so far, but that isn’t enough to provide the player a chance to make his IPL debut. Notably, Arjun has played nine T20 matches in his career, taking 12 wickets at a 6.60 economy rate.
Number 3. Dewald Brevis
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Dewald Brevis, often known as ‘Baby AB,’ has the potential to be a match-winner in the game’s shortest version. The player, like Stubbs, loves to play an aggressive type of cricket, but this hasn’t worked in his favour thus far in the Indian Premier League.
The Mumbai-based franchise purchased the batter in the IPL 2022 auction on INR 3 crore. In seven games this season, he scored 161 runs with a strike rate of 142.48. Brevis’ consistency is an issue now, despite his high strike rate, and he may have to warm the bench in the future season.
As of now, the five-time winners are expected to select Cameron Green, Jofra Archer, Tim David, and one of Jhye Richardson or Jason Behrendorff as their four international players. As a result, Brevis or other international players may have to perform well in order to make the squad.
