IPL 2016 Auction Analysis: Mumbai Indians

Total Players: 26

Auction Purse: Rs. 13.10 crores

Mumbai Indians after their last year’s successful campaign had retained the core strength of their squad. At the auction they merely looked for back-ups or disruptors. And like every year, this year too they went for a disruptor in Jos Buttler. Buttler who had lit up the series vs Pakistan in December with a brilliant hundred, impressed yet again this past week when he scored another quickfire century against the Proteas in their home ground.

Apart from Buttler, Mumbai bought Tim Southee, who will serve as a backup bowler for the ever impressive Lasith Malinga and might become the leader of the pack if Malinga doesn’t get fit in time.

One would have thought they’d go for a foreign all-rounder too but they seem content with the Corey Anderson, Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya.

They have added Nathu Singh, whose performance has awed one and all, his story too is quite inspiring. It will be heartening to see him donning the MI jersey and rubbing shoulders with the greats of the game Ponting and Sachin.

Apart from these three picks, Mumbai have added a string of unknown quantities with the likes of KP Kamath, Krunal Pandya and Deepak Punia.

All in all, it was a good auction for them and they’d be pleased with the three big picks they got. They will want to start the season well, unlike last two seasons where they found it extremely difficult to find any momentum in the first half of the tournament.

Mumbai Indians predicted XI: Lendl Simmons, Unmukt Chand, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Corey Anderson, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Harbhajan Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Nathu Singh, Lasith Malinga.

Mumbai Indians:

Which players did Delhi Daredevils pick? – IPL 2016 Auction Analysis: Delhi Daredevils