"If MI get both Coetzee and Morris, they will be challenging GT" - Brad Hogg predicts 5-time champions to go all out for overseas pacers
Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg feels Mumbai Indians (MI) will be eyeing quality overseas pacers in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 mini-auction.
The five-time champions are looking to reshape their bowling attack bolstered by Jasprit Bumrah's return from injury. MI released Jofra Archer, and their priority in the auction will be to replace him.
Archer only played a handful of matches in the 2023 edition and was far from his best in the limited appearances, largely due to injury concerns. MI made it to the playoffs on the back of the franchise's exceptional batting quality and depth, coupled with some unlikely names like Piyush Chawla and Akash Madhwal stepping up in a big way.
Hogg thinks that MI could be a force to be reckoned with if they manage to rope in South African pacers Gerald Coetzee and Chris Morris.
"They need a fast bowler, they have been boosted with an Indian all-rounder in Hardik Pandya. They still need someone to complement Bumrah and Behrendorff. I think they will go for Coetzee upfront, they will be hoping to get him cheaply. If not Coetzee, then they will go for Lance Morris. If MI get both Coetzee and Morris, they will be challenging GT because they will have a very balanced lineup," Brad Hogg said on his YouTube channel.
Brad Hogg also dissected Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) auction needs, which is bound to be interesting considering the number of releases as well as the return of Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer as mentor and captain, respectively.
"They have got rid of a lot of players and they need to pick up a lot as well in the auction. I think they are going to go after Pat Cummins. I think they will go after Tyagi as well, just for a little bit of extra pace in the Indian department, and also, Harshal Patel," the former KKR player said.
Cummins has played for KKR across two different stints in his IPL career. He first played for the two-time winners from 2014 to 2015 and was again picked for ₹15.50 crore in the 2020 auction.
"I don't know where they are going to go in this particular auction" - Brad Hogg on PBKS
The Punjab Kings (PBKS) made some key decisions in terms of their retentions and releases ahead of the auction. The franchise released Shahrukh Khan while keeping their trust with record acquisition Sam Curran, as they look to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
Brad Hogg feels that PBKS could potentially pick up Josh Hazlewood at the upcoming mini-auction.
"I don't know where they are going to go in this particular auction. One thing that they did lack last year is depth in their fast-bowling. They relied on Ellis a lot and Rabada did not really fire as well. I think they will go for Josh Hazlewood. He will be really good up there in Mohali as well," he explained.
Hazlewood was recently released by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and he will be unavailable for the first three weeks of the 2024 edition.
Will MI survive the bidding war for Gerald Coetzee in the IPL 2024 mini-auction? Let us know what you think.