"This is one of the worst auctions they have ever had" - Brad Hogg on Mumbai Indians
Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg believes the Mumbai Indians (MI) were not successful in making a formidable unit at the recent IPL mega auction. The franchise were surprisingly inactive on the first day of the event and had to make amends on the final day.
The five-time champions spent half of their purse on bringing back Ishan Kishan for a record sum of ₹15.25 crore and Jofra Archer for an additional ₹8 crore. The two acquisitions made a significant dent in their purse and had to settle for second-choice players for the remaining positions.
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Terming the decision to sign Jofra Archer as a 'huge-risk', Hogg said on his YouTube channel:
"Spending 8Cr on Archer is a huge risk, especially after spending 15 crore on Ishan Kishan. He's had two elbow surgeries in the last 18 months, that's the worst injury a fast bowler could have. They have a formidable top order in Rohit, Kishan and Surya and then David at No.4, which is also a risk. Who's going to bat at No.5 is the big question."
Hogg continued:
"The bowling department is where their headache starts. They don't have depth in their bowling and not many top class spinners. They also don't have finishers like the Pandya brothers. This is one of the worst auctions MI has ever had."
The defending champions failed to bring back several of their former players, namely Trent Boult, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Krunal Pandya. They have invested a lot in promising young players, but in terms of immediate solutions, the franchise have a lack of depth in their squad.
"Gujarat Titans had the worst auction out of all franchises" - Brad Hogg
The new franchise Gujarat Titans made a promising start to the auction by acquiring Jason Roy and Mohammad Shami, but fizzled out as the auction progressed. They did not have a wicket-keeper among their ranks until the latter stages of the auction and had to settle for Matthew Wade and Wriddhiman Saha.
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Opining that the Gujarat Titans had the worst auction out of all ten franchises, Hogg said:
"Gujarat Titans had the worst auction out of all franchises. They went hard for Shami and Ferguson. But Is Tewatia worth 9 Cr? He is a good all-rounder, but he has not done enough to warrant that price."
Hogg concluded:
"A lot of holes in their batting department, and not enough depth in their bowling. No good options for Rashid, Shami and Ferguson. They could finish last in their very first season."
The Titans' strength continue to come in the form of their players signed prior to the auction. Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill will have a huge role to play in the team's inaugural season.