Mumbai Indians finished last in the Indian Premier League (IPL) season, and their auction in 2022 had a role in it. They were building a team for the future and didn’t mind having a bad game. They made significant investments in players under the age of 26, leaving a few gaps in their roster.
They would have known, though, that they couldn’t afford to do the same thing for another season until the 2023 sale. MI would have entered the auction with a reasonably substantial sum, expecting to fill the remaining voids and challenge for the trophy with their extremely skilled team. That was not the case, since there were a few guys they should have chosen but did not.
Here are five players the Mumbai Indians should have chosen but did not.
Number 1. Shivam Mavi
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Shivam Mavi was projected to be one of the most sought-after Indian players at the auction, and he was, as the reigning champions Gujarat Titans paid Rs. 6 crore for him. In mini auctions, an Indian pacer who can bowl at 140 kph is an uncommon item. He can also bat, which is a plus.
He made his international debut in the current T20I series against Sri Lanka, scoring a match-winning 4/22. Mavi demonstrated his ability to swing the new ball, and his low-arm motion suggests that he might develop into a yorker specialist as well.
While his IPL results haven’t been stellar thus far, he has the potential to be a terrific player. The Rohit Sharma-led side could have used a man like Mavi in their lineup, as they’ve always struggled with the second Indian speed option after Jasprit Bumrah.
Number 2. Sikandar Raza
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Sikandar Raza became Zimbabwe’s first IPL player in over a decade when the Punjab Kings paid Rs.50 lakh for him. Last year, he was in his greatest form of his career, with numerous spectacular performances against top-tier opponents.
In 2022, the 35-year-old averaged 35 in 24 T20Is and had a ferocious strike rate of 150. He took 25 wickets with the ball at a strike rate of 17.2 and conceded at little over 6. In the World Cup, Raza had match-winning three-wicket hauls against Pakistan and the West Indies.
While he isn’t a leg spinner, he has taken a lot of wickets and would have been useful in the middle overs. The Zimbabwean would have met two needs for Mumbai, as he is both an experienced spinner and a strong finisher with the bat.
Number 3. Vidhwath Kaverappa
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Vidhwath Kaverappa has been one of the domestic campaign’s standout performers, excelling across all forms. He had only played two first-class games before to the current season, but he has swiftly established himself as a major component in Karnataka’s speed attack.
He was the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy’s second top wicket-taker. Kaverappa took 18 wickets in eight games at a 10.72 average and an economy of less than 6.4. In addition, he was the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
The 23-year-old bowls in the 130s and is mostly a new-ball specialist. He can move the ball both ways, which piqued the eye of Punjab Kings, who signed him for a base fee of INR 20 lakh. The Mumbai Indians don’t have many indigenous pacers, so he would’ve been a good addition. They could have employed him for three overs up front and then switched him out under the impact player rule.
Number 4. Reece Topley
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Reece Topley has been around for a long, and few have gone through the ups and downs he has. He was regarded as one of England’s brightest talents a decade ago and made his debut at the age of 21, but his career has been plagued by injuries.
However, in the past year, he has revitalised his career and has been a crucial component of England’s white-ball sets. The 28-year-old received his first IPL contract when he was purchased by RCB in the 2023 auction for Rs.1.9 crore. It was a just reward following an outstanding 2022 season in which he took 43 wickets in 33 T20s while allowing just 8.
The left-arm pacer is a complete bowler who can bowl in all stages without losing speed. Topley can move the new ball, nail yorkers, bowl a variety of variations, and bowl hard lengths with ease considering his height. His fee was very low for a player with such a diverse skill set.
MI was also a bidder for him, but they pulled out unexpectedly. Fortunately for them, they still have a potent foreign speed assault led by Jofra Archer, Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff, and Duan Jansen.
Number 5. Adam Zampa
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The Mumbai Indians made a mistake by failing to purchase a great leg-spinner during the auction, which might come back to haunt them. Buying an overseas spinner has never been their strategy, although they did have at least one established Indian spinner in their roster at the time.
This time, all of their spinners are inexperienced, with Piyush Chawla being the lone exception. He has, however, been declining and hasn’t averaged less than 29 since 2017, and he even went unsold in 2022. One of the causes for their eight-game losing skid at the start of the season was their terrible spin attack.
This is where Adam Zampa, perhaps the greatest foreign spinner available, would have been a beneficial acquisition. He has been among the greatest T20 bowlers in recent years and has grown much more consistent. The Australian would have given them the option of trying a new combination. Instead, the most of the bowling in the middle of the innings will be handled by Kumar Kartikeya, Shams Mulani, and Hrithik Shokeen, all of whom have little experience at this level. The leg-spinner will now represent the Rajasthan Royals in the 2019 season of the Indian Premier League.
