IPL Retentions 2022: MI's mistakes, what they got right and concerns ahead of the auction
The Mumbai Indians (MI) had an embarrassing campaign - by their standards - in the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL), where they not only missed out on a playoff spot but appeared fully incapable of adjusting to the variety of conditions on offer across India and the UAE.
However, the five-time IPL champions will not welcome the impending mega-auction, with the formidable T20 side they have assembled over a few painstaking years on the verge of collapse. MI tried their best to arrest the expected downfall by retaining Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav and Kieron Pollard, but they have a long way to go in the auction before they can enter IPL 2022 as the favorites.
How did MI fare during their IPL 2022 retentions? We take a look at their mistakes, the things they got right and the concerns ahead of the auction.
Mistakes: Average age of retentions, world-class domestic talent ignored
Rohit is 34, as is Pollard. Suryakumar is 31. Bumrah, who turns 28 in three days, is MI's youngest retention. MI had youngsters like Ishan Kishan and Rahul Chahar in their side, but they couldn't hold on to them and have been left with a slightly aging core which doesn't have too many years left at the top level.
Even the likes of Hardik Pandya could've been retained with an eye on the future. With this rumored to be the last mega-auction, MI might be in trouble if they are unable to identify the right young talent in the IPL 2022 auction.
While MI couldn't have done much if an agreement couldn't be reached with Kishan, they now find themselves without a world-class domestic talent. The young southpaw has also been earmarked as a future skipper, which is something MI don't have in their retentions right now.
Masterstrokes: Cheap Pollard deal, experience in leadership group
Yes, Pollard is on the wrong side of 30, but the fact that he is MI's fourth retention sweetens the deal for the five-time champions. Retained for INR 6 crore, the big West Indian would've undoubtedly fetched more at the auction with his ability to clear the boundary at will and astute tactical awareness.
MI have retained four of their key cogs - Rohit, Bumrah, Suryakumar and Pollard - who have been part of the decision-making group for a few years now. Pollard has even led the team in the absence of Rohit, while Bumrah and Suryakumar are established Indian cricketers who are among the best at what they do.
MI lost out on youth, but what they did gain is a trusted core that has served them well over the years in the IPL. This will be of vital importance in the next cycle.
Concerns: Limited auction purse, new-look team on the cards for IPL 2022
As one of four franchises to have retained four players, MI are a bit thin in the purse department. They will need to be near-perfect in the auction if they are to assemble a team similar to their title-winning teams of 2019 and 2020, which won't be easy with the addition of two new teams.
MI are bound to have a new-look team for IPL 2022, with the likes of Kishan, the Pandya brothers, Chahar and Quinton de Kock unlikely to return to the franchise as they will go for serious money in the auction. They might even be snapped up in the pre-auction draft by the two new teams. A franchise that has placed great emphasis on finding the right players and sticking by them, MI will have some serious adjustments to make in IPL 2022.