Mumbai Indians were jolted to a rude awakening when IPL 2021 kicked off. Their campaign started with a customary defeat that saw them slumping down to Royal Challengers Bangalore after a poor display of batting. Their following fixture saw them slumping further down with the bat but an extraordinary display from their bowlers kept them afloat.
Their batting showed no signs of improvement as the slump continued with another fortunate escape against Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, the skeleton of the team was exposed in no time as soon as they were up against Delhi Capitals who leads the table currently. Punjab Kings made it worse for the defending champions by inflicting another defeat upon them.
Rohit Sharma could see that their batting was one of the primary points of woe for them and a heroic blitzkrieg from Kieron Pollard against Chennai Super Kings instilled a few hopes for them before the tournament came to a sudden halt as the menace of the virus intensified.
Keeping the leaks in mind, Mumbai Indians will be eager to plug the gaps with a few decent signings from the mega auction that will be in place for the upcoming year of the tournament. In this story, we will be looking at five cricketers who can be bagged for the following edition of the tournament.
#1 Jonny Bairstow
One of the most dominant English batters in the current cricketing roster, Jonny Bairstow is one of the most ferocious strikers of the ball. He was roped in by Hyderabad in 2019 for a price of Rs 1.5 crores and produced figures of 445 runs in 10 games at an astonishing average of 55.62 and n impudent strike rate of 157.24.
2020 wasn’t really kind to the striker, but he returned with a bang in the ongoing edition of the tournament. With Kieron Pollard slowly heading into his twilight and Quinton De Kock showing signs of rust, Bairstow can be a major target for the Indians, given the dynamicity that he brings to the table.
#2 Harshal Patel
The last couple of games haven’t really been kind to this young man, but he has already shown his worth in the ongoing edition of the tournament. What used to be minimal returns in the preceding edition of the tournaments has amplified into a rollicking showdown until now that has seen him claiming 17 wickets from 7 games. If there isn’t any major upset, Patel will definitely be walking away with the Purple Cap this season.
Mumbai has banked upon Rahul Chahar heavily this season to bring the changes in momentum. The young leggie has returned surprising results. However, he hasn’t been supported justly in the middle overs. This is exactly where Harshal Patel comes into the picture. Given his knack for wickets, he can be used in the middle overs and also towards death. Though he is a bit expensive, the rate at which he strikes is surprising and will be an ace up anyone’s sleeve.
#3 Glenn Maxwell
The Australian hard-hitter is back to his scintillating best as he resumed his destruction for Royal Challengers Bangalore. The man has garnered 223 runs from 7 matches after a disappointing season with the now rechristened Punjab Kings.
Maxwell whacked the bowlers at a stormy rate of 144.80 with his overall strike rate being 153. He also produced a scintillating show for Australia against India. Given Pollard’s inconsistency, Maxwell can be an exceptionally valuable addition to the squad.
#4 Rahul Tripathi
Though Rahul Tripathi hasn’t been an absolute wrecker, he made his presence felt in the Kolkata batting line-up with a decent show in the ongoing edition of the tournament. With glimpses of relent from Ishan Kishan, Mumbai will need an electrifying name in the middle who is equally explosive in the field.
Rahul Tripathi has been a very dynamic customer and the way he has hacked away at the bowlers has been nothing short of a beauty. His presence in the field has been equally brilliant. Given the lack of support from other batters, he has actually managed to register good figures with 187 from 7 games at a brutal strike rate of 135.50.
#5 Prithvi Shaw
This youngster faced excessive criticism when he was opening the innings for India against Australia. However, what impressed everyone is that he bit the bullet and learned from his own mistakes. He closed down the gap between his bat and pad which helped him to evolve himself into a much better and a lot more aggressive batter.
This year has been the year of revelation for Shaw as he has hammered 308 runs from 8 games at a stunning average of 38.50 that included a rollicking 82 against the Knights. With a tug-of-war between Quinton De Kock and Sharma, Shaw can be an excellent addition.
