MI have been one of the finest T20 franchises of all time, achieving results that are unprecedented for any team in the world. Rohit Sharma has been a pillar figure for them over the years and he is expected to be retained ahead of anyone else.
However, he expressed disappointment over the fact that a lot of the players from their successful team of the last three seasons will be dispersed. Mumbai Indians had groomed and hosted world-class talents like Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Trent Boult, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Quinton de Kock among others.
With the Indian Premier League heading into a reboot mode ahead of the mega auction, it is likely that two more teams will be joining the league. This increases the possibility of the current teams only 2-3 players, including the option of the “Right to Match” card.
“As a team, we have created a lot of memories. We have played some unbelievable games in the past. We defended very low totals. These are very fond memories. It was an unfortunate season, but nothing to take away from the past.
We won’t have the same squad unless some miracle happens. It will be hard not to have all of them. Hopefully we retain the core group of players and create another magical year,”
Sharma said in a video released by Mumbai Indians.
To pick up two or three options from a pool of wonderful players won’t be easy for MI. Plenty of their players in Yadav, Kishan, Rahul Chahar, Krunal Pandya, Boult, de Kock and a few others are likely to be in the auction. Most of them are expected to fetch a massive price in the auction, making it impossible for Mumbai to get them.
Mumbai won the IPL in 2019 and 2020, beating Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals in the final, respectively. This double from the side ensured they created a 2-trophy cushion against arch-rivals Chennai, with Mumbai having five IPL titles and CSK having 3. However, the yellow army got themselves to within one, winning the 2021 edition.