The most successful IPL franchise, Mumbai Indians, suffered their worst-ever IPL season in 2022 as the Rohit Sharma-led team finished at the bottom of the table in the 10-team tournament.
The IPL 2023 mini-auction is not far away – scheduled for December 16 – and the franchises have to finalize and announce their list of retained and released players by November 15.
Mumbai Indians are known for their smart planning and astute decision in the auction and trading window. There are a few players who didn’t perform well in IPL 2022, but MI should keep faith in them and keep them in their squad.
Here are 3 underperformers from IPL 2022 who Mumbai Indians should retain:
Riley Meredith
Riley Meredith is amongst the fastest of the Australian bowlers, the right-arm speedster can clock over 140 KPH regularly and even go past 150 KPH. Meredith featured in 8 matches this season, picking up 8 wickets but was expensive, leaking runs at close to 9 an over.
This might make MI ponder over releasing Meredith, however, there is merit in keeping him for next year. MI will return to play 7 games at the Wankhede, a venue where fast bowlers such as Meredith could be effective.
Also, MI is still unsure and uncertain about the fitness of Bumrah and Archer – though the IPL 2023 is still far away – and having an overseas quick bowler in the squad will be a big plus for MI. Meredith is 26 years old and is gaining experience.
Jaydev Unadkat
The main issue in MI’s dismal season was their bowling department. One of their pacers, Jaydev Unadkat, had a below-par season: 6 wickets in 5 matches, and was expensive, conceding at 9.5 runs per over.
Nonetheless, with a 1.3 crore price, Unadkat still seems a good bet to keep for another season. For there won’t be many left-arm experienced Indian pacers in the auction. Unadkat has plenty of experience with Indian conditions and also had success in the IPL in the past. A left-arm experienced pacer, that too an Indian one, is an asset for any franchise.
Mayank Markande
Leg-spinner Mayank Markande managed a solitary wicket in 2 matches. However, MI has faith in the 24-year-old; he was with MI in 2018 and 2019 and MI bought him back in 2022, knowing that there’s plenty to learn for the Punjab leggie and he will do it with time and experience.
Markande is unlikely to be a starter if MI retains him. But having an Indian leg-spinner in the squad will embolden MI to hunt for fast bowlers in the auction.
