IPL Auction, Mumbai Indians: Former Indian leg-break bowler Anil Kumble opines the Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians could plump for Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza or English spinner Adil Rashid in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 mini-auction.
The five-time champion Mumbai Indians attained the wooden spoon last season by procuring only 4 victories in 14 matches. Whether it is the discordance of the bowling attack or mild fickleness in the middle order, Mumbai Indians would certainly want to obliterate the flings of the previous season.
Ahead of the IPL Auction, Mumbai Indians decided to release a whopping 13-member bunch, which included notable names such as Kieron Pollard (Retired), Daniel Sams, who was the highest overseas wicket-taker (13) for them in 2022, Jaydev Unadkat, Tymal Mills, and Fabian Allen, who was perhaps the only overseas spinner they pursued in the 2022 season.
The Mumbai Indians presently are equipped with mainly two spinners, Hrithik Shokeen and Kumar Kartikeya, both of them are uncapped, and while Anil Kumble applauded the youngsters for their respective stints, former the right-arm-leg-break also identifies a void in the current Mumbai line-up, and believes international players such as Sikandar Raza and Adil Rashid could replenish that.
Mumbai Indians Auction: “Sikandar Raza Could Give Mumbai Indians a Middle-Order Option”, Anil Kumble
The former mentor of Mumbai Indians, Anil Kumble advised Mumbai Indians to go all out in pursuit of an international spinner while highlighting Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe as a viable alternative to Kieron Pollard.
Anil Kumble while speaking to JIO Cinema, said, “Mumbai Indians don’t have a marquee spinner in their ranks. Kartikeya did well for them last year. If they have to go for an Indian spinner with experience then they will have to probably go back to Amit Mishra or Piyush Chawla. I don’t see that happening. Perhaps, the only option for them is to go for an overseas spinner. Who will it be? There’s Adil Rashid, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Adam Zampa.”
The right-arm-leg-break bowler Piyush Chawala was roped in by Mumbai Indians in 2021, and only donned the blue and gold for one game wherein he claimed 1 scalp against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Following that, he was relinquished from the star-studded Mumbai line-up.
In absence of seasoned Suryakumar Yadav, the youngsters Dewald Brevis, Tilak Varma, and Tim David dwindled to stabilize the middle-order previous season. To bury the middle-order quandary, Anil Kumble discerns that the addition of the 36-year-old Sikandar Raza is the best possible way for Mumbai Indians to ameliorate their squad.
“I would probably look towards Sikandar Raza because he can also give you a wonderful middle order batting as well, along with his spin which is not easy to pick, and he has done well in the recent past,” Anil Kumble added.
Sikandar Raza has been going through a purple patch in his career and the right-hander has been the leading run-scorer for Zimbabwe in 2022. Moreover, Raza had lodged an unrivalled casebook for himself this year by orchestrating 645 ODI runs in 15 matches at an average of 49.6, which includes 2 half-centuries and 3 centuries.
In addition to that, Raza had also bagged 735 T20I runs in 23 matches at a strike rate of 150.9, with 5 half-centuries to his credit. Lastly, the right-arm-off break bowler also accumulated 25 scalps in as many matches with an economy of 6.14.
After retaining a total of 16 players, Mumbai Indians will be heading towards the IPL Auction with 20.55 crore in their purse, which is the fourth-highest among ten franchises. Sunrisers Hyderabad would advance to the auction with the highest available purse of 42.25 crores.
Current Mumbai Indians Squad:
Rohit Sharma (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Tim David, Ramandeep Singh, Tilak Varma, Jofra Archer, Arjun Tendulkar, Arshad Khan, Kumar Kartikeya, Hrithik Shokeen, Jason Behrendorff, Akash Madhwal.