Mumbai Indians at IPL 2020 Auction: Mumbai Indians buff up bench strength of an already well-balanced squad

Mumbai Indians (MI) went into the auctions with the least purse remaining, but with one of the most balanced squads. They did not have any major loopholes to cover, except for getting a few backups for certain slots. They made two major buys; Chris Lynn as the explosive opener and Nathan Coulter-Nile as the backup […]
 

Mumbai Indians (MI) went into the auctions with the least purse remaining, but with one of the most balanced squads. They did not have any major loopholes to cover, except for getting a few backups for certain slots. They made two major buys; Chris Lynn as the explosive opener and Nathan Coulter-Nile as the backup overseas pacer. In addition to that, they bought three uncapped players. Let’s have a look at how the Mumbai Indians squad stacks up for IPL 2020.

New Additions:

Chris Lynn (2 cr), Nathan Coulter-Nile (8 cr), Saurabh Tiwary (50L), Mohsin Khan(20L), Digvijay Deshmukh (20L), Prince Balwant Rai (20L)

Mumbai Indians Full squad for IPL 2020:

Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Kieran Pollard, Quinton de Kock, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah, James Pattinson, Krunal Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Anmolpreet Singh, Trent Boult, Rahul Chahar, Ishan Kishan, Anukul Roy, Dhawal Kulkarni, Aditya Tare, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayant Yadav, Chris Lynn, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Saurabh Tiwary, Mohsin Khan, Digvijay Deshmukh, Prince Balwant Rai

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Auction Performance Summary:

Mumbai Indians had one of the most balanced squads coming into the auctions, with almost all bases covered. The primary objective was to get backups in the pace department and an overseas hard-hitting batsman. The very first player to go under the hammer Chris Lynn was bought by MI at his base price of 2 cr. It was surely a bargain buy as Lynn can be a match-winner at the top of the order. More so at flat wickets of the UAE, Lynn can very well fit into the XI as an opener or even at number three.

Chris Lynn adds to the firepower of Mumbai Indians squad for IPL 2020

Mumbai Indians got into a bidding war with arch-rivals Chennai Superkings for Nathan Coulter-Nile. The Aussie pacer was finally sold to MI at 8 cr. The purchase did raise a few eyebrows but it was a wise move to get in Coulter-Nile, considering the need for backups for Bumrah and Boult. In addition to his wicket-taking knack, Nathan’s batting coming down the order will give the team additional balance.

Saurabh Tiwary was snapped at his base price, as a backup for the middle order. They buffed up the Indian pace department by roping in young pacers Mohsin Khan and Digvijay Deshmukh, before finally buying the all-rounder Prince Balwant Rai.

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Much like expected, Mumbai were mere spectators for the most part of the auction. The reason being having a team that is really well balanced.

Best Buy for Mumbai Indians: 

MI went all out for Nathan Coulter-Nile in a bidding war against CSK. Coulter-Nile not only adds to the firepower in the pace department but also gives them a bit of depth in batting as well. He has a knack of picking wickets regularly and is very good at the death. Considering the recurring injuries to Jasprit Bumrah, Coulter-Nile is a very good addition. He thus provides the cushion to the side in case of injury to the likes Bumrah.

Nathan Coulter-Nile has increased the fast-bowling depth in Mumbai Indians squad for IPL 2020

Loopholes:

There was no major loophole in the MI squad going into the auctions. The only area of concern might be the spin department. The only major wicket-taking option among spinners is Rahul Chahar but has no backups after they traded Mayank Markande to Delhi Capitals. Other spin bowling options include Anukul Roy, Krunal Pandya and Jayant Yadav, but none of them is a reliable wicket-taker. This might hold them at a position of disadvantage on turning tracks.

Verdict on Mumbai Indians squad for IPL 2020:

Mumbai Indians had a decent outing at the auctions. The fact that they already had a well-balanced squad reduced their participation in the auctions. However, they had two buys who will most likely be in the starting XI. The already strong squad only got stronger with more balance and more bench strength after the auctions. The approach was quite clinical; they did not target many players, got what they wanted and then went for a few backups in the form of uncapped players.

Mumbai Indians Probable Playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Chris Lynn, Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Dhawal Kulkarni, Trent Boult