3 Mumbai Indians players who should be released after IPL 2023
The IPL 2023 campaign of five-time champions Mumbai Indians came to an end on Friday, May 26, following their defeat to the Gujarat Titans in the 2nd Qualifier. Batting first, the Titans put up a massive score of 233 thanks to a marvellous century by Shubman Gill.
In response, MI batted well to get to 124-3 before losing the plot and getting bowled out for 171. They eventually conceded the game by 62 runs to set up a Gujarat vs Chennai final.
Not many had given MI a chance to make it to the playoffs considering that they had one of the weakest bowling attacks in the tournament. But the Rohit Sharma-led side showed why they are the most successful team in the tournament's history.
They have a bright core which can take the team to newer heights in the future and will look to fix the few issues that plagued them in IPL 2023, ahead of next season. They will also look to release a few players who haven't really settled into their side. Here, we look at three such players:
#1 Dewald Brevis
South African all-rounder Dewald Brevis is one of the most exciting talents in the game at the moment. In 44 T20 matches, he has scored 1,055 runs at an average of 27.05 and a remarkable strike-rate of 141.80. Brewis has a high score of 162, which he made in just 57 deliveries for the South African team, Titans, in a domestic game in his home nation.
Brevis made his IPL debut for MI in 2022 and featured in seven games in which he showed shades of his brilliance. He was retained by the franchise but didn't get to play a single game in IPL 2023. This was due to MI's foreign player combination, which includes Cameron Green and Tim David.
Mumbai have opted to use the other two overseas slots to bolster their bowling line-up, which was one of the weakest this year. Hence, a sensational talent like Brevis had to warm the bench.
Mumbai have arguably the best batting lineup on paper and it seems like Brevis is surplus to requirements. Hence, they could think of releasing him ahead of next season.
#2 Jofra Archer
Jofra Archer was bought by the Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2022 despite the fact that he wasn't available for that season. Mumbai thought that he was a good investment for the future and fans and pundits felt that they had pulled off a heist.
This year, he was expected to lead the bowling attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. However, Archer's injuries came back to haunt him and the franchise as he could only feature in five games this season.
MI's bowling was a huge issue for them and even though they rode their luck into the playoffs, a poor bowling show in the 2nd Qualifier led to their exit. This could mean the end of MI's faith in Archer, as they look to invest in someone more fit.
#3 Chris Jordan
MI brought in Chris Jordan as a replacement for his dear friend, Jofra Archer. Jordan has a reputation for being a good death bowler, but the numbers tell a different story. In the IPL, he has an economy of 9.61 over 34 games.
This year, he played 6 games, picking up 3 wickets at an economy of 10.77. He was not bought in the auction because of the same reason, and MI might not be interested in retaining him. He has only himself to blame as the Barbados-born seamer has got plenty of opportunities in the last few years.