IPL 2022: 3 things MI must do post-season
The Mumbai Indians (MI) are undergoing arguably their worst IPL season ever, having lost their first eight games. While not many would have expected them to be winless after more than half the tournament done, their chances of making it to the IPL 2022 playoffs looked bleak arguably just after the kind of auction that they had.
The MI team management spent a whopping INR 15.25 crore to get back Ishan Kishan and formed an experienced core of Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Kieron Pollard through retention.
However, they let go of some of their match-winners from the past few seasons like Quinton de Kock, Trent Boult, Rahul Chahar and most importantly the Pandya brothers. They were also runners-up while bidding for some quality players like Yuzvendra Chahal and Josh Hazlewood and that certainly didn't help their cause.
On top of that, Mumbai also splashed INR 8 crore on the injured Jofra Archer, who will only be available from next season. This meant that their acquisitions like Tymal Mills, Daniel Sams and Tim David had to hit the ground running from the get-go.
Although youngsters like Tilak Varma and Dewald Brevis have been impressive, MI's retained core along with some of their overseas players have just not been consistent enough. Being the most successful IPL franchise, MI would want to put this season behind them and build for the future.
On that note, let's take a look at three things that the five-time IPL champions need to do post the IPL 2022 season:
#3 Show more faith in Tim David
into the universe! 
📸 just before launching the ⚾ into the universe! 💥
#OneFamily #DilKholKe #MumbaiIndians @timdavid8 https://t.co/XY0HITVQk4
Having bought the hard-hitting Tim David at the auction for a whopping INR 8.25 crore, it looked certain that the 26-year-old would form a lethal partnership with Kieron Pollard as the new duo that will be finishing games off for Mumbai.
However, David has been dropped after just two games and hasn't got a look-in since. He also didn't get many chances during his time with the Royal Challengers Bangalore and it seems like Mumbai are not making use of his potential either.
With Pollard's form clearly on the decline, Mumbai need to recognize David as someone who could be their reliable finisher for at least the next 4-5 years. Whenever MI have chased this season, they have always fallen short of providing that explosive finish which could have given them two points.
This is where Tim David could prove to be a crucial component for this new-look Mumbai side. With their chances of qualifying for the playoffs this season all but over, they can give David a chance to express himself in the next few games and see if he fits in their future plans.
#2 Release Ishan Kishan and buy him back in the mini auction for a lesser price
Shane Watson on Ishan Kishan's Bid https://t.co/9j5jf0z1tK
After breaking their bank for Ishan Kishan, Mumbai hoped that the youngster would form a solid opening partnership with Rohit Sharma. The 23-year-old started with a bang, scoring two half-centuries and was also the IPL Orange Cap holder after the end of MI's second game.
However, everything has just fallen apart for the southpaw and his uncharacteristic knock of 8(20) in their last game against Lucknow sums up the season for him so far. In eight games, Kishan has scored just 199 runs at a modest strike rate of 108.15, despite getting a consistent run in his preferred opening position.
While MI can experiment using him in the middle order, the main question would be how they would approach the next mini auction. They definitely need an overhaul in the bowling department and for that they would need a decent amount in their kitty.
If Mumbai are smart enough, they can release the 23-year-old back into the auction pool and buy him once again for a price much lower than the 15.25 crore that they paid for him. This would give them some extra money to go after quality bowling options.
Check out the full IPL teams owner here.
#1 Have an honest conversation with Kieron Pollard
Scores are even now my brother 🤗 Love you Polly ❤️❤️❤️ @KieronPollard55 https://t.co/XyxUuVqqkG
Kieron Pollard has played a staggering 186 games in the IPL and all of them have been for Mumbai. They have always given importance to loyalty and have backed their marquee players over the years and Pollard is certainly one of them. This is also perhaps why he was retained ahead of the likes of De Kock and Boult.
However, the 34-year-old is having another season to forget for MI. In eight games, he has scored just 115 runs and has failed to finish games for Mumbai from positions where they could have won the game. The absence of the Pandya brothers has also added extra pressure on him to deliver consistently.
Once the season is over, the Mumbai think tank will need to give a serious thought about whether they see Pollard playing a crucial role for them going forward. In the past three seasons, apart from the odd knocks here and there, he has been inconsistent and that's definitely costing the five-time champions.
Despite going through a disastrous season, MI will need to keep their calm and make some bold decisions if they are to once again stamp their authority on the league.