Mumbai Indians (MI), the five-time IPL winners, had a season to forget in 2022, finishing with just four victories in 14 games. They also set an unwelcome record by being the only IPL side to lose their first eight games in a row.
The team and its fans haven’t witnessed such a drop in over a decade, when they’ve constantly won silverware or made the playoffs. However, it is usually difficult to retain your champion players in a huge auction, and Mumbai had to start from zero.
Although the current MI lineup includes several rising stars as well as seasoned players, here are three past players they may have benefitted from given the gaps in their IPL 2023 squad:
#2 Mohsin khan
Have to give it for Mohsin Khan. He spent so many years in Mumbai Indians without playing a single game. Now stepping up with the ball in every game for Lucknow. #IPL2022
β Sameer Allana (@HitmanCricket) May 1, 2022
Mohsin Khan, a pacer from Uttar Pradesh, was signed by the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2018 auction after being coached by world-class former fast bowlers Shane Bond and Zaheer Khan.
Mohsin, on the other hand, did not play a single game throughout his four seasons with the club. The Lucknow Supergiants got him up for the basic price in the big auction last year, and it proved to be a brilliant move.
Mohsin took 14 wickets in nine IPL 2022 games at a superb economy rate of 5.96. He was swift and had the ability to bowl in several aspects.
Mumbai’s current team lacks excellent Indian pace alternatives, which may force them to field two foreign quicks with Jasprit Bumrah. If they had maintained Mohsin, he might have created a terrific partnership with Bumrah and offered MI the option of adding an extra international batter.
#2 Rahul Chahar
Rahul Chahar in 2019 IPL
β πΊπππππ (@Shebas_10dulkar) August 4, 2022
4-0-14-2 in Qualifier 1
4-0-14-1 in Final
He is ONLY Indian to bowl with Economy below 4 In Consecutive matches of an IPL Playoffs (While bowling all 4 overs)
Also ONLY MI bowler to bowl 100+ overs Without bowling a Single No ball
HBD @rdchahar1 π pic.twitter.com/kXll1mTEJH
Spin is a source of concern for the Mumbai Indians, as it was last season. The five-time winners have several great choices like Hrithik Shokeen and Kumar Kartikeya, but when it comes to wrist spin, they only have Piyush Chawla.
Many people were surprised when MI did not bid aggressively for Rahul Chahar in the big auction. When Rohit Sharma needed a wicket, he was one of his major weapons, and he was a key component of their title-winning campaigns in 2019 and 2020.
With a few of untapped diamonds, Mumbai may yet have some trump cards up their sleeves. However, it is reasonable to conclude that they have most likely not been able to replace Rahul Chahar’s calibre.
#3 Hardik Pandya
A Year back
β Vishal Yadav (@VishalY44691113) May 29, 2022
Me: Hardik Pandya is an invaluable asset to this Mumbai Indians side.He provides great balance to this team.
My friend: We don’t need Hardik Pandya to win the trophy. I hope MI don’t buy him back.
Meanwhile in #IPL2022
Hardik Pandya MI pic.twitter.com/GxW9BOjB4C
One of the most significant losses for MI has been Hardik Pandya, a player they developed into an absolute beast. Hardik won four IPL titles with Mumbai and, more crucially, established himself as the seam-bowling all-rounder that any IPL club would have desired.
For the Mumbai Indians, he was not just an aggressive middle-order hitter, but also a bowler with an amazing ability to break partnerships. With other players such as Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Kieron Pollard in the mix, Mumbai took the difficult choice not to keep Hardik.
They tried Daniel Sams and Ramandeep Singh in that capacity last year and have made a significant investment in Cameron Green ahead of the IPL 2023 season. The absence of Hardik Pandya, though, is still noticeable in the present lineup.