“When you buy 1 player for ₹15.25 crore, it sometimes affects balance of the squad” - Aakash Chopra’s big statement on MI’s auction strategy for IPL 2022
Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has hinted that Mumbai Indians’ (MI) decision to spend ₹15.25 crore on Ishan Kishan at the auction perhaps forced the franchise to compromise a bit on the overall quality of their IPL 2022 squad.
MI have made a poor start to their IPL campaign this season, going down to the Delhi Capitals (DC) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their first two matches. Mumbai will be looking to get their first points on the board when they face the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune on Wednesday.
Previewing the contest, Chopra reflected on Mumbai’s strategy at the auction and opined:
“Two things significantly stand out when it comes to the Mumbai Indians squad for IPL 2022. The first is, when you buy one player for ₹15.25 crore, it sometimes affects the balance of the squad. Secondly, Jofra Archer is not part of the squad for this season. He will be available from next year’s edition. When he joins the squad, Mumbai’s bowling will be boosted. But the fact is, this year their bowling is looking weak.”
The most expensive buy at this year’s IPL auction, Kishan has made an impressive start to the season. He scored an unbeaten 81 off 48 balls against Delhi and 54 off 43 deliveries versus Rajasthan.
“I really don’t know who their third pacer will be”- Aakash Chopra on MI’s bowling woes
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In the absence of Jofra Archer and with Trent Boult having moved to Rajasthan, Jasprit Bumrah looks the only quality bowler in the Mumbai squad as of now. According to Chopra, while Tymal Mills has the ability to pick up wickets, his consistency is questionable.
Analyzing Mumbai’s issues in the bowling department, the former cricketer said:
“Bowling is a problem for MI. Jasprit Bumrah is a gun bowler and a world-class pacer. After that, there is Tymal Mills. He does pick up a couple of wickets but he has the tendency to be expensive. Going for 35-40 in his four overs is very common for him.”
Speaking specifically about the third pacer, he added:
“I really don’t know who their third pacer will be. Basil Thampi picked up a few wickets in the first game, but against Rajasthan he hardly bowled. It won’t make much difference even if they bring in Jaydev Unadkat. The third pacer is definitely an issue.”
While Bumrah was brilliant, returning with figures of three for 17 against Rajasthan, Mills picked up three for 35. Thampi was smacked for 26 runs in one over while Kieron Pollard conceded 46 runs in four overs.