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10 players Mumbai Indians regret letting go

Dhawan was an essential player for Mumbai Indians
Dhawan was an essential player for Mumbai Indians

The defending champions Mumbai Indians are known for their selection of core players which has helped them win the coveted trophy on four different occasions. Mumbai have a reputation for scouting young players and bringing out the best in them.

However, not all players were successful during their stay at Mumbai Indians, with some of them failing to get the nod or not being able to fire in the opportunities that were handed to them.

Here, we tale a look at the players sold by Mumbai Indians who went on to become great IPL stars for other franchises.


#10 Moises Henriques

Henriques was part of the title-winning Hyderabad side
Henriques was part of the title-winning Hyderabad side

Born in Portugal, this Australian cricketer is an underrated all-rounder in the limited-overs format. He can provide stability to the batting line up and can chip in with a few overs as well.

He was bought by the Mumbai Indians in the 2011 IPL auction in spite of not being capped at the international level. Mumbai already had the likes of Kieron Pollard, so he couldn't figure in the starting XI. The man from Down Under was released by the Mumbai-based franchise the following year.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad bought Henriques in the 2014 IPL auction. He played a crucial role for the franchise as they won the coveted trophy in 2016.

In the 57 games he has played in the IPL, Henriques has scored 969 runs and has taken 38 wickets. He can play the role of a finisher as well as a wicket-taking bowler.

However, he went unsold in the IPL 2018 auction. Mumbai Indians would probably have benefited from having the all-rounder it the squad.

#9 Glenn Maxwell

The Mumbai Indians bought Maxwell for 5.3 crores
The Mumbai Indians bought Maxwell for 5.3 crores

Known for playing unorthodox shots with ease, Maxwell was acquired by the Mumbai Indians for a hefty sum of 5.3 crores in the 2013 IPL auction.

Despite being the most expensive player in that auction, he could not make it to the XI for most of the season. With Mumbai Indians, he only played three matches and scored 36 runs at an average of 12.

Kings XI Punjab bought the Aussie all-rounder in the 2014 IPL Auction, and he struck 552 runs at a strike rate of 187.75 in 16 matches. He led the team to the finals where they lost in a thrilling encounter against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Currently, he is one of the most sought after T20 all-rounders in the world. After a stint with Delhi in IPL 2018, the Melbourne Stars captain will now represent Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2020.

#8 Dhawal Kulkarni

Kulkarni took 35 wickets in 33 matches for Mumbai Indians
Kulkarni took 35 wickets in 33 matches for Mumbai Indians

Kulkarni, the Mumbai bowler, has been around in the domestic circuit for a long time. He has featured in the IPL since its second edition. Also, a few impressive performances earned him a national call-up. But the Mumbai pacer hasn't still proved his mettle while donning the Indian jersey.

During his tenure with Mumbai Indians till 2013, he played 33 matches where he took 36 wickets with a decent average of a little more than 23.

Kulkarni can be instrumental during the middle overs in the shortest format of the game. He is also a handy wicket-taking bowler in the powerplay overs.

The 31-year-old was traded in by the Mumbai Indians after his second stint with Rajasthan Royals. While Kulkarni was successful with the Royals and Gujarat Lions, it remains to be seen if his second stint with Mumbai will indeed bear fruit.

#7 Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav has been one of India's leading bowlers in the last year
Kuldeep Yadav has been one of India's leading bowlers in the last year

The Mumbai Indians bought Kuldeep Yadav in the 2012 IPL auction, where he didn't feature in a single game.

Little did they know that he would become one of the consistent bowlers for the national team and would also replace the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the national limited-overs set-up.

In 2014, he was bought by KKR. Despite getting limited opportunities, he never failed and took six wickets from three matches in his first season. Since the ninth edition of the IPL, the wily spinner has been a regular in the KKR squad.

His enigmatic googly continues to be a mystery for top batsmen in the world. While Mumbai Indians tried to repurchase him in the auction, they tasted were unable to do so.

With the right opportunities, Yadav could have proved his worth to the Mumbai Indians and retained his place in the team. In hindsight, Yadav would be a player the Mumbai management would regret letting go.

#6 Manish Pandey

Manish Pandey was the first Indian in the IPL to score a hundred
Manish Pandey was the first Indian in the IPL to score a hundred

Hailing from Karnataka, the 30-year-old batsman was bought by the Mumbai Indians in the inaugural edition of the IPL.

The current captain of the Karnataka team has had limited chances to prove his worth in the Indian team due to the likes of Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya making the best of their opportunities.

In the second season, Pandey was sold by Mumbai Indians to the Royal Challengers Bangalore, and he made a name for himself by becoming the first Indian to score a century in the history of IPL.

The stylish right-handed batsman has now scored 2843 IPL runs in just 130 matches, at a strike rate of 120.82.

Pandey's most notable performance in an Indian shirt came against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground when he scored an unbeaten 104 as the team chased down a difficult-looking 331.

He was bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for a whopping 11 crores in the 2018 IPL auction and has remained with the Hyderabad franchise since. His exceptional talent and hard-hitting abilities at the end of the innings would have served Mumbai Indians well.

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