IPL Auction: 5 players who might replace Kieron Pollard at Mumbai Indians for IPL 2023

Mumbai Indians (MI) went through their most disappointing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) history in 2022 by winning only four matches out of 14. Looking at their glorifying past, it can be said that such an underwhelming show from the team was not expected. Ahead of the mini-auction fans were hoping the franchise to revamp its side for the next season by getting rid of players who didn't perform well in the last season. There were also some talks among cricket fans that MI could release Kieron Pollard due to his plummeting performance. On November 15, the team management did the same by ending their 13 year-long association with the West Indies player. For MI, the decision must have been a difficult one to take as Pollard was an MI stalwart for 13 years and had played an enormous role to help the team become the most successful team in the league by clinching the title five times. For the next season, the team management would like to rope in a new player who could fill his big shoes. Let us look at some names that might be the ideal replacement of Kieron Pollard at MI: 1. Tim David Tim David made his IPL debut in 2021 by playing just one game for Royal Challengers Bangalore. But in 2022, the batter got a chance to showcase his talent and skills by playing for MI. David, known for playing sensational innings in the middle order, could provide balance to MI in the next season. In the last edition, the franchise had preferred David over Pollard by giving him a chance in the playing XI of the last few matches and the youngster didn’t disappoint the franchise by delivering some rapid knocks to the team with his bat. Overall, in the tournament, he played eight games in the last edition of the league and scored 186 runs at an impressive average of 37.20. In 2023, MI could trust him to reinforce the batting line-up of the team alongside other batters like Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Dewald Brevis, and Tilak Varma among others. 2. Ben Stokes Swashbuckling England all-rounder is considered a player of big tournaments and his performance in the recently concluded T20 World Cup final justifies it. By notching up 52* runs and scalping an important wicket of Iftikhar Ahmed in the final against Pakistan, he won the summit clash for the Three Lions. After becoming the Test skipper of England, Stokes has looked more responsible while batting. The all-rounder also hanged his ODI boots this year to concentrate on Test and T20I forms of the game. While talking about his IPL career, Stokes has represented Rising Pune Supergiants and Rajasthan Royals. With 920 runs and 28 wickets, he has proved his mettle as a brilliant all-rounder. In 2017, he made his IPL debut for Rising Pune Supergiants and scored 316 runs and bagged 12 wickets. Last year, the all-rounder took a mental health break and didn't feature in the IPL. This year, at the mini-auction, he will be the most sought-after player and MI could definitely go for him to make him a part of their squad. After Pollard’s retirement, Stokes has the potential to fill his place with his ability to contribute to the team with both the bat and ball. 3. Cameron Green Cameron Green delivered a couple of incredible knocks for Australia against the Men in Blue in a three-match T20I series ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022. By smashing two quick half-centuries in three matches of the series, Green displayed his ability as an aggressive batter. He also became the highest scorer of the bilateral competition by racking up 118 runs at an excellent average of 39.33. On the spinning tracks of India, the 23-year-old came out as a brilliant batter for Aussies by playing spinners such as Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel comfortably. Looking at his incredible show with the bat in India, MI might show interest in him at the mini-auction by paying a good amount to him. As his batting style is also similar to Pollard, he could be a perfect player in the Mumbai set-up. Along with batting, the Aussie stalwart can also help MI with his remarkable fast bowling. In Ashes 2021-22, with his outstanding pace, he contributed to Australia’s success by scalping 13 wickets in five games. 4. Sikandar Raza Zimbabwe player Sikandar Raza has been playing cricket for Zimbabwe for more than nine years and in the recent T20 World Cup, he showed what he can do with his vast experience. Riding on his heroics, Zimbabwe qualified for the Super 12 stage and also pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament by beating Pakistan by one run. With 219 runs in eight matches, at an average of 27.37, Raza was one of the leading run-scorers of the marquee event. While with the ball, he bagged ten wickets in the competition. At the upcoming mini-auction of IPL, he could attract MI due to his potential to deliver all-round performances and his current form. Like Pollard, Raza can also provide strength to the team by batting in the middle order. Recently, he has evolved into a mystery bowler and is difficult to put away. 5. Sam Curran Sam Curran has become one of the biggest names in world cricket after delivering a spunky performance for England in the T20 World Cup 2022. In the competition, Curran brought joy to the faces of his teammates and English cricket team fans with the balls. By bagging 13 wickets in six games, at a magnificent economy of 6.52, Curran became the Player of the Tournament. His spell of 3-12 in the final match played a crucial role in helping England rout Pakistan. After checking out his majestic performance in the recently concluded T20 mega event, MI might be tempted to include him in their squad for the 2023 season. In the past, Curran has featured in IPL while playing for Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). At the mini-auction, Curran will be one of the players who can trigger a bidding battle between the franchises. MI might look to win the battle by spending a whopping amount for Curran as the English player has the capability to be efficient with both the bat and ball.

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IPL Auction: 5 players who might replace Kieron Pollard at Mumbai Indians for IPL 2023

Check out the five-player names who might replace Kieron Pollard at Mumbai Indians for IPL 2023.

4. Sikandar Raza

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