The Mumbai Indians are undoubtedly the most successful team in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), having clinched five titles so far. But, they’ve had a bit of a rough patch lately with the 2022 season being particularly forgettable, as they finished at the bottom of the table.
In an effort to turn their fortunes around, Mumbai Indians made some strategic decisions ahead of the highly anticipated IPL 2023 auction, which was set to take place in Kochi on December 23. They retained some of their core players, including the likes of captain Rohit Sharma, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, and middle-order sensation Suryakumar Yadav.
However, there was a bit of a shakeup as well. Kieron Pollard, the talented Caribbean all-rounder and long-time Mumbai Indian, announced his retirement from IPL as a player. But, the team continued to benefit from his experience and expertise as he took on the role of batting coach. With Pollard’s position now vacant, there was a lot of anticipation about who Mumbai Indians would choose to fill that void.
Despite some poor performances in the previous season, Ishan Kishan was retained. He had been the costliest buy at INR 15.25 crore but had struggled to make an impact during crucial phases of the game. Nonetheless, he managed to score 418 runs in the 14 matches he played, with an average of 32.15 and a strike rate of 120.11, including three half-centuries, and his highest individual score being an unbeaten 81*. Along with these players, Tilak Varma was also retained, making for a strong squad heading into the IPL 2023.
IPL 2023 Auction Performance
Last season, Mumbai Indians went all out for Ishan Kishan and Jofra Archer, looking to build a team for the future. They replicated similar moves this year, spending a massive Rs. 17.50 crore to secure the services of Australian all-rounder Cameron Green. After a bidding war with Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals, MI finally got their hands on the big player, making Green the second-most expensive player in IPL history. He registered a base price of Rs. 2 crore, but exceeded all expectations.
Along with Green, MI picked up Jhye Richardson at a base price of INR 1.5 crore. Later, they added Piyush Chawla, Duan Jansen, Shams Mulani, Nehal Vadhera, and Vishnu Vinod to their squad at their base prices.
Mumbai Indians have always been wise with their spending during IPL auctions, and heading into the IPL 2023 auctions, they had Rs. 20.55 crores left in their purse, with nine slots to fill including three overseas players. Despite finishing their previous campaign at the bottom of the points table, MI did really well at the IPL 2023 auctions that took place on Friday, December 23, in Kochi. With big names like Jasprit Bumrah, Kishan, Suryakumar, and Archer already on their side, Green’s inclusion made their squad stronger. The upcoming 16th edition of the cash-rich event is expected to be a big one for Mumbai.
The final Mumbai Indians squad that will play in IPL 2023 is as follows –
Wicket Keeper/Batsman
Vishnu Vinod
Ishan Kishan
Batsmen
Rohit Sharma
Suryakumar Yadav
Dewald Brevis
Tilak Varma
Mohd Arshad Khan
Ramandeep Singh
Tristan Stubbs
All-Rounders
Tim David
Hrithik Shokeen
Cameron Green
Shams Mulani
Nehal Wadhera
Bowlers
Raghav Goyal
Duan Jansen
Piyush Chawla
Jhye Richardson
Akash Madhwal
Jason Behrendorff
Kumar Kartikeya
Arjun Tendulkar
Jofra Archer
Jasprit Bumrah
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