The IPL 2020 auction was held yesterday in the City of Joy and all the franchisees had their picks in the mega event ahead of the next edition of the tournament. Every franchisee had a particular plan in mind coming into the auction. While it went in the favor of some of the franchises, the others had to see their plans go unfulfilled. The defending champions, Mumbai Indians, also had a great time in the auction as they picked the players with an intention to strengthen their squad for the next term.
The Indians picked up Chris Lynn for Rs. 2 Crores. The former Kolkata Knight Riders batsman has been one of the most destructive batsmen when it comes to the shorter format of the game and it is still a surprise to many that why the Knights let him leave. The inclusion of Lynn is sure to provide the much-needed impetus at the top of the order for the Mumbai Indians, which they had been somehow lacking in the last season. The Aussie’s brute force combined with the class of skipper Rohit Sharma at the top of the batting lineup could spell danger for any of the rivals.
Here is a look at the players that were brought in by the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2020 auction.
Chris Lynn, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Saurabh Tiwary, Mohsin Khan, Digvijay Deshmukh, Balwant Rai Singh.
Here is the full squad for the defending champions ahead of IPL 2020.
Rohit Sharma, Sherfane Rutherford, Suryakumar Yadav, Anmolpreet Singh, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell McClenaghan, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Mohsin Khan, Fabian Allen, Prince Balwant Rai Singh, Digvijay Deshmukh, Hardik Pandya, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Anukul Roy, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ishan Kishan, Quinton de Kock, Aditya Tare.
However, there are a few players who could have easily been a part of the Mumbai Indians lineup and could have provided even more solidity to their squad. In the following lines, we will have a look at three such players.
Shimron Hetmyer
After a long battle of bids between Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals, the flamboyant West Indian batsman went onto to join the latter for Rs. 7.75 Crores. The former Royal Challengers Bangalore have been in great hitting form in the ongoing ODI series against India and produced a brilliant hundred in the first match of the series to guide his side to victory and take the lead in the series. His inclusion in the Mumbai Indians lineup would have provided a lot of firepower for them as far as their middle-order is concerned. With the 22-year-old being equally good against spin and pace, Hetmyer could have been a great addition to the Mumbai squad.
Sam Curran
Ranked as one of the best young all-rounders in the current scenario, the Englishman could have been another great addition to the Mumbai Indians squad. Notched up by the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2020 auction, Curran has the ability to strike on regular intervals with the ball and can chip in with an important inning down the order. His inclusion could have provided the Indians with a brilliant all-rounder for their campaign in IPL 2020.
Sheldon Cottrell
The left-arm pacer has already attracted attention with his unique style of celebration after picking a wicket in India vs West Indies ODI series, but he is no mug with the ball as well. Kings XI Punjab were the ones to rope him in for Rs. 8 Crores in the auction but his pace and accurate length while bowling, especially in the death overs could have been an added advantage for the Mumbai Indians if they had picked him in the auction.
