IPL 2017: Five Players Mumbai Indians Would Want To Retain For Next Season
May 22, 2017 at 4:37 PM
The evening gone by was a host to a nerve wrecking final as Mumbai Indians pulled off an absolute heist against the Rising Pune Supergiant in Hyderabad to clinch their third IPL title. The win speaks volumes about Mumbai’s team spirit and resilience as only a paltry total of 128 was successfully defended on a track where batting wasn’t too difficult. The spells of the pacers ultimately proved to be the difference for the Mumbai Indians.
The next edition shall mark the IPL entering into its second decade and as per pre-decided norms, fans could witness a complete overhaul of all teams as a majority of the players would be thrown into the auction pool. This means that at most, a team could only retain up to five members and choosing the five best members will be an extremely cumbersome task.
Below, we go through those five likely names which the latest IPL Champions, Mumbai Indians could retain for the upcoming seasons.
- Harbhajan Singh:
Despite not playing the last few games in this season, Harbhajan has been a top notch performer for the Mumbai Indians and is among those rare players who have played for the very same franchise right from the very first season. Being a Mumbai Indians loyalist, the association between the team and Harbhajan isn’t just related to the field, but off the field as well, Singh is an integral part of the Mumbai Indians brand. The star off-spinner also led the Mumbai Indians to glory in the 2011 Champions League T20 and in the 2012 IPL. Having represented the Mumbai Indians in 136 IPL games right from the inaugural season, Bhajji has been a pillar of strength for this side. With mind-blowing numbers to his credit as well, expect the Turbanator to be retained by the Mumbai Indians among their five players.
- Kieron Pollard:
Like Harbhajan, Pollard has played for just one IPL franchise throughout his career, and that has been the Mumbai Indians. The brawny Trinidadian is a regular feature in the Mumbai XI and has been with the side since 2010 and played a key role in all their three trophy triumphs. Pollard has an ocean of experience in T20 cricket and has been a star for various clubs across the globe. Known to step up in big games, the all-rounder has made it a habit of ending up on the winning side. Despite ageing, Pollard is worth his weight in gold in T20 cricket, and ideally, the Mumbai management must retain him.
- Krunal Pandya:
When the Royal Challengers Bangalore retained just Virat Kohli in 2011 and changed the entire team, all fans were in for a shock as no one expected the then inexperienced Kohli to be retained alone. But the results were there for everyone to see as Kohli often topped the run charts for the Royal Challengers and proved to be a champion leader. The Mumbai Indians can precisely do this regarding Krunal Pandya and retain him as a means of exploiting his match winning skills in the near future. Considering his clean hitting and batting prowess along with accurate bowling abilities, one can easily count the elder Pandya to be among the few exciting prospects for the near future. If this out of the box measure is taken of retaining Pandya, it could well lead to optimistic rewards for the three-time IPL champions.
- Jasprit Bumrah:
This IPL was a host to the ascendency of Jasprit Bumrah to the throne of the best pacers in T20 cricket. Game after game, the young pacer churned out some memorable bowling performances and won Mumbai matches out of nowhere. At just 23 years of age, Bumrah is yet to reach his peak as a pacer and has already won his side several matches on his own. The slingy pacer has been a rage in all roles, be it with the new ball or at the death, where is mind boggling accuracy has been a delight for all Mumbai fans. With the upcoming years bound to witness his rise as a world class bowler, it will just make sense to retain Bumrah.
- Rohit Sharma:
With 4 IPL crowns to his name, the most for any player, Rohit Sharma has quickly emerged as the tournament’s most valuable player since its inception. Batting wise, one doesn’t need to describe Rohit as he is a one man army and can become the beast any time he wants. But it has been his tactically astute captaincy that has been a bonus for the Mumbai Indians. Winning an unbelievable three titles in five seasons as captain, Rohit has achieved success like no other player in this prestigious tournament. It is easy to comprehend that even if all players are put on the table, the Mumbai Indians will bid any amount to retain the services of Rohit Sharma.