IPL 2022: 3 best signings by MI this season
Mumbai Indians (MI) are the most decorated franchise in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with five titles and two Champions League T20 trophies to their name.
One of the primary reasons behind MI's success has been the team's auction strategy. Every year, MI retain their core group and build a strong squad around those players. Ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction, the Mumbai Indians retained Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav and Kieron Pollard in their squad.
They did not have the biggest auction purse heading into the mega auction, but Mumbai still managed to sign some exceptionally talented players. Here's a list of their three best signings from the IPL 2022 Mega Auction.
#1 Ishan Kishan - Most expensive signing by MI in IPL Auction history
Ishan Kishan made his IPL debut in 2016 for the Gujarat Lions. After the Lions' exit, Kishan moved to Mumbai Indians in 2018. The southpaw has won multiple games for the Mumbai-based franchise in the last four years, playing an important role in their 2019 and 2020 championship wins.
Since Kishan is an explosive batter and wicket-keeper as well as a future captaincy option, many teams showed interest in him at the auction. In fact, former IPL champions Sunrisers Hyderabad badly wanted Kishan in their team. Their spin-bowling coach Muttiah Muralitharan said the following in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda after the mega auction:
"I would say we’ve got 80 percent of our plans right. We didn’t get the remaining 20 percent right because we couldn’t acquire Ishan Kishan. Had we purchased him, it would’ve been a perfect squad."
Mumbai Indians submitted their biggest bid in IPL Auction history when they signed Kishan for a whopping ₹15.25 crore at the mega auction. Considering the talent he possesses, it goes without saying that the southpaw was Mumbai's best signing.
#2 Jofra Archer
Mumbai Indians signed IPL 2020 MVP Jofra Archer despite knowing that he is unlikely to play the upcoming season. Archer has proven himself to be a game-changer in the IPL, who can contribute to both departments.
Plus, his combination with Jasprit Bumrah could prove to be lethal in the IPL. Archer is likely to make his debut for Mumbai Indians in 2023.
Considering the long-term aspect of this signing, MI made a great call by shelling out ₹8 crore for the England all-rounder.
#3 Tim David
Tim David made his IPL debut for the Royal Challengers Bangalore last year but did not play much for the franchise. It seems he will get a lot of opportunities in IPL 2022 as the Mumbai Indians signed him for ₹8.25 crore at the mega auction.
David has made a name for himself with his stellar performances in other T20 leagues. He has been a match-winner for his teams in the Big Bash League, Caribbean Premier League and Pakistan Super League. It will be interesting to see if he can perform in the same fashion for his new team, the Mumbai Indians, in IPL 2022.