Mumbai Indians released a total of 13 players on IPL 2023 retention day (November 15, Tuesday). However, they roped in Australia’s Jason Behrendorff for the forthcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) opted to trade the left-arm pacer.
Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer was pleased with Behrendorff re-joining the Mumbai Paltan but raised serious concerns about the availability of England pacer Jofra Archer.
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Jaffer said that Behrendorff will complement Mumbai Indians’ premier pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Archer. But the question is whether Archer will be even available for the 2023 IPL season or not and if he’ll be absent as he was in the entire 2022 season then Rohit Sharma-led side will be in trouble.
“I hope Jofra Archer is fit and running. If he is not available then they are in big trouble. Jasprit Bumrah, Archer and Jason Behrendorff can make a good fast-bowling pair. Akash Madhwal, I know him from Uttarakhand, he is a very good prospect. He might get a look in. But they are very weak in the spin department. Hrithik Shokeen did play a few games but he is like an off-spinner and if they play at Wankhede, he’s not gonna do much. Kumar Kartikeya had a decent game time and he did okay,” Jaffer told ESPNCricinfo.
As Mumbai Indians became the team with most number of releases, another big news from their camp was retirement of Kieron Pollard (INR 6 crore). Pollard will no longer be seen on the field but will be at the back as he’ll be the batting coach of the team in coming season. The other players released by MI are Daniel Sams (INR 2.6 crore), Jaydev Unadkat (INR 1.3 crore), Mayank Markande (INR 65 lakh), Murugan Ashwin (INR 1.6 crore), Riley Meredith (INR 1 crore) and Tymal Mills (INR 1.5 crore). Now, with INR 20.55 crore purse availability, Mumbai Indians is expected to look for a frontline spinner at the mini-auction on December 23 in Kochi.
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Jaffer also said that Mumbai Indians will have to go big for a spinner, especially an Indian spinner because they can’t afford to have too many foreign spinners
He said, “But again, you know, there is not much experience there. So they have to go really big, picking the spinners in the right manner, they can’t afford to have too many foreign spinners. Because it doesn’t leave them with any space. Because Tim David is gonna play, Tristan Stubbs, Archer, Behrendorff if, at all they play, so I don’t know who is the local spinner. The Indian spinners will be available for them. So that is going to be a tricky one. But all the released players are usual suspects. I mean there are no surprises.”
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