IPL 2022: 3 players who can replace Daniel Sams in MI playing XI

The Mumbai Indians continued the streak of losing their first fixture of the IPL season. Since 2012 they have not won their first match of the season. On March 27, against the Delhi Capitals, they posted a strong total of 177 runs on the board, on the back of Ishan Kishan’s terrific knock of 81* off 48 balls, with captain Rohit Sharma providing strong support. The youngster, Tilak Varma, started his IPL career on a strong note as well steering the team at a good run rate in the middle overs.

In the bowling unit, the likes of Basil Thampi and Murugan Ashwin were terrific with their efforts to take wickets regularly, while Tymal Mills was not as good as his reputation. But the performances from the experienced campaigners, Daniel Sams and Jasprit Bumrah, were way below-par as they went for too many runs and returned wicket-less as well.

In particular, Daniel Sams gave away 57 runs off four overs and was one of the key reasons for the team losing their opening fixture.  Henceforth, the team management might ponder on choosing his replacement for the second fixture of the 2022 edition.

Here are the 3 Players who can replace Daniel Sams in MI 

1. Riley Meredith

The speedster has been one of the top bowlers in the last few editions of the Big Bash League. Over the years, he has showed the ability to bowl at blistering speeds consistently and terrify the opposition batters. He received recognition after picking up 16 wickets in the 2018/19 BBL season and helping the Hobart Hurricanes team to seal the playoffs spot.

The fast bowler featured for the Punjab Kings team in the 2021 season, scalping four wickets. In the Big Bash League 2021/22, Meredith was again impressive with 16 dismissals in 11 matches, which ensured the participation of the Hurricanes in the playoffs.

In the 2022 edition, Meredith was picked by the Mumbai Indians for his base price of INR 1 crore to strengthen their pace bowling attack. He can turn out to be a steady customer at all Mumbai venues, where his hard lengths would be valuable for the team. Looking at his form in Australia’s premier T20 tournament, Meredith can be a potential replacement for his fellow Australian Daniel Sams.