IPL 2023 Trading Window: Five-time champions Mumbai Indians suffered their worst IPL season earlier this year as they started off with 8 losses and even the 4 wins in the last 6 matches couldn’t save them from finishing last in the 10-team tournament.
The IPL 2023 auction is likely to take place in mid-December. A month before the auction, the IPL 2023 trading window will open that allows the franchises to make trades of their players for other players or for only cash that will open up their purses.
MI have, in the past, made some smart trades – such as Quinton de Kock and Trent Boult – and they are expected to be in action once again in the trade window to strengthen their squad.
Here are 3 players Mumbai Indians should trade in the IPL 2023 trading window:
Navdeep Saini
Mumbai Indians struggled with their Indian pace contingent in the IPL 2022 with Jaydev Unadkat and Basil Thampi being taken to the cleaners by the opponent’s batters. Mumbai Indians lacked an Indian pacer with high pace, who could regularly click 145 KPH to rattle the batters and provide support to Bumrah.
Saini has shown that he’s got the high pace needed to trouble even the best of the batsmen while playing for RCB and even got a place in the Indian team. He played for Rajasthan Royals last season when he played only 2 matches for 3 wickets but was expensive. If groomed well under the MI think-tank of Zaheer Khan, Shane Bond, etc. Saini could become a match-winner.
Adam Milne
The England team and Mumbai Indians have been sweating over the fitness of star pacer Jofra Archer who hasn’t played international cricket since March last year due to injuries. MI had bought Archer with a long-term vision however, the malfunction of the bowling attack last season will force them to think harder regarding their overseas pace bowling as Tymal Mills and Riley Meredith too were very expensive with the former likely to be released by MI.
In that case, they could trade in Adam Milne from CSK, in the IPL 2023 trading window. The Kiwi fast bowler was part of the MI team in IPL 2021 and fared decently, but played only one match for CSK last season before being injured. If MI can offer a handy player to CSK, who finished 9th, they could get Milne’s services to boost their pace attack.
Manish Pandey
Senior batsman Manish Pandey managed only 110 runs for Lucknow last season and with several other better options at LSG’s disposal, Pandey could be traded away. This brings an opportunity for MI to get an experienced Indian batsman in the middle-order.
Pandey is adept at playing the anchor role which would allow other MI batters – Rohit, Kishan, Suryakumar, Brevis, Stubbs – to play an attacking brand of cricket. Also, MI cannot play all of the Brevis, Stubbs,Tim David, Daniel Sams, Archer and Pollard together in the XI, this means that they need a skilful, experienced Indian batter, and Pandey fits the bill, if they decide to go after him in the IPL 2023 trading window,
