IPL 2022 Auction is one of the events that fans are most excited about. It will be a mega auction. Under mega auction rules, teams only have permission to retain maximum three to five players. Because of this rule, many star players enter the auction pool. Mumbai Indians will have many issues before IPL 2022 Auction.
8 to 10 players of the current MI squad are worth retaining. However, Mumbai will likely have to release some players. If there is a restriction of one foreign player, MI might go with Quinton de Kock or Kieron Pollard. In this situation, they may have to release Trent Boult. MI might target the following five players at IPL 2022 Auction if they release Boult.
1. Mumbai Indians might target Mitchell Starc at IPL 2022 Auction
Mitchell Starc is one of the most feared pace bowlers in the cricket world right now. He is a left-arm pacer like Boult. Starc has played for RCB in the past. He has a great record in IPL. But he has stayed away from the league for quite some time.
KKR had signed him in 2018. Unfortunately, he missed the season because of an injury. MI might go for him at IPL 2022 Auction if they release Boult. Starc could form a lethal combination with Bumrah. The Aussie could be a great addition to the MI squad.
2. Mitchell McClenaghan
It was a bit surprising to see MI not retaining Mitchell McClenaghan ahead of IPL 2021. McClenaghan has only played for MI in the IPL. He has done really well for the team. The left-arm pacer performed good even at Wankhede Stadium. Still, he could not get a place in the squad.
Perhaps, MI could buy him back if they have to release Boult. McClenaghan knows the conditions well. The Kiwi pacer is a wicket-taking bowler. Hence, he could be a good choice. It will be interesting to see if he gets a contract at IPL 2022 Auction.
3. Sheldon Cottrell
Sheldon Cottrell is a left-arm pacer from West Indies. He has a great record in T20s. Like McClenaghan, he is a wicket-taking bowler. But the IPL franchises ignored him in the 2021 auction. Perhaps, MI might sign him in IPL 2022 Auction.
Cottrell is currently present in Top 15 of ICC T20I Rankings for Bowlers. This ranking suggests he can trouble the batters with his pace. He did a decent job for Punjab in IPL 2020. Still, he lost his contract. Maybe he could return for MI in IPL 2022.
4. Mustafizur Rahman
Mustafizur Rahman is another former MI player to appear on this list. He is a left-arm fast bowler from Bangladesh. Rehman has achieved a unique thing in IPL. He is the only overseas player to win the Emerging Player of the Season Award. He knows the art of bowling yorkers.
In IPL 2021, he is a part of RR. Maybe if he is back in the auction, MI might target him again. Rahman has the talent to succeed at MI. He can form a great combination with Bumrah. It will be exciting to see if MI goes after him.
5. Mumbai Indians might target Matt Henry at IPL 2022 Auction
A wildcard in this race is Matt Henry. He is Trent Boult’s compatriot. Henry is a right-arm pacer. The Chennai Super Kings had signed him before. However, he is yet to perform his best in the IPL.
Henry is one of the best white-ball bowlers. He has got the pace to trouble the batters. MI might go after him at IPL 2022 Auction in case they have to let go of Boult. Henry could be a match-winner for them, if he gets enough opportunities.
