3 holes MI might struggle to fill at the IPL 2025 auction ft. a reliable finisher
The Mumbai Indians (MI) had a miserable campaign in the 2024 IPL. The five-time champions finished dead last in the standings, capping a rather poor auction cycle in which they had only one playoff appearance to show for.
MI, however, have a strong core. They retained five players ahead of the IPL 2025 auction - Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma and Tilak Varma. They have ₹45 crore in their purse and one RTM card in their hands.
Given their obvious purse constraints, Mumbai might not have a lot of wiggle room at the IPL 2024 auction. There are plenty of areas on the roster that need to be addressed, and it won't be easy with the other nine teams having a financial advantage.
On that note, here are three holes MI might struggle to fill at the IPL 2025 auction:
#3 MI will need to find a reliable finisher
Over the last auction cycle, MI had Tim David and Hardik Pandya performing finishing duties. Others, including Romario Shepherd, tried their hand out at times, but it was mostly on the shoulders of David and Hardik.
Now, however, MI might need to find a new player to perform that role. Hardik's game has evolved in such a way that he finds it easier to hit spin, with notable issues against hard lengths cropping up on a regular basis. Moreover, the skipper cannot take on such a tough task on his own.
A few teams, including the Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans, have retained their prime finishing options. The market is thin on that front, so Mumbai might need to rely on their world-class scouting.
#2 Will Mumbai be able to afford quality overseas fast bowlers?
With only ₹45 crore in their purse, MI will need to assemble their entire bowling attack around Jasprit Bumrah. The five-time champions have always preferred having at least one overseas quick in the mix, and that trend has continued in recent campaigns.
In IPL 2024, MI tried out a number of fast bowlers, including Kwena Maphaka, Nuwan Thushara, Luke Wood and Gerald Coetzee. None of them were particularly impressive, so Mumbai need to find an affordable pacer who can break games open in the powerplay.
The conditions at the Wankhede Stadium make quality overseas quicks a necessity, and that'll be tough with the Indians' budget.
#1 MI might struggle to bring their uncapped players back
MI have one RTM in their hands, which could be used on an uncapped player. Naman Dhir, Nehal Wadhera and Anshul Kamboj are the prime candidates to be brought back with the provision.
However, with the other teams having bigger budgets, that might be tough for Mumbai. Dhir and Wadhera are two of the most exciting batting talents in the country and also possess a bit of bowling ability. With domestic batting options being scarce, there could be bidding wars for them.
Kamboj, meanwhile, will also be in high demand as a powerplay option. The youngster is already in the India A mix and has a long career ahead of him. MI might thus find themselves priced out of their key uncapped RTM targets.