Will Mumbai Indians retain these 5 players and call back one from RTM?

IPL Mega Auction: The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the biggest and most popular league in the world of cricket, where many cricketers have made their careers. With every season, fans and teams are excited about the discovery of new players and the retention policy. This time too, the IPL Governing Council has announced the retention policy, in which all 10 teams can retain 6 players. Mumbai Indians (MI), who have won the IPL title a record five times, can retain 5 players this time. Of these, four will be capped and one will be an uncapped player.

Terms of the retention policy

Under the retention policy, if a team retains 6 players, it will not get the option of Right to Match (RTM) card during the auction. At the same time, if a team retains only 3 players, it will get a chance to withdraw three players from RTM. According to ESPN Cricinfo report, if a team retains 5 players, then for the first three retentions the team will have to spend Rs 18 crore, Rs 14 crore and Rs 11 crore respectively, while for the next two, Rs 18 crore and Rs 14 crore will have to be paid. Rs 4 crore will have to be paid for uncapped players.

Possible retention list of Mumbai Indians

1. Jasprit Bumrah (capped)

Mumbai Indians' first priority will be to retain Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah is known for his deadly yorkers and accurate bowling, which has the ability to turn the tide of the match. He has taken 165 wickets in 133 matches in the IPL and has been one of Mumbai's most influential bowlers for the last several years. His economical bowling and ability to perform under pressure make him an invaluable player for Mumbai.

2. Hardik Pandya (capped)

The second big name of Mumbai Indians can be Hardik Pandya. After taking over the captaincy last season, Hardik Pandya performed brilliantly not only with the bat but also with the bowling. He is known to win stuck matches. He has excellence in batting as well as bowling, making him a complete player in T20 cricket. Hardik has scored 2525 runs and 64 wickets in 137 matches in the IPL.

3. Suryakumar Yadav (capped)

Mumbai Indians' third choice will be Suryakumar Yadav, who has proved himself with his brilliant batting in T20 cricket in recent years. He is capable of playing shots in any corner of any ground, and his consistency has made him the captain of the Indian T20 team. Suryakumar has scored 3594 runs in 150 IPL matches, including two centuries and 24 half-centuries.

4. Rohit Sharma (capped)

Although Mumbai Indians have handed over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma to Hardik Pandya, Rohit still remains an important player of the team. Mumbai has won the title five times under Rohit's leadership, and given his experience, the team may try to retain him. Although Rohit is now 37 years old, he may still have 3-4 years of good cricket left. He has scored 6628 runs in 257 matches in the IPL so far, including two centuries.

5. Nehal Wadhera (uncapped)

The Mumbai Indians team can retain Nehal Wadhera as their uncapped player. Nehal has so far scored 350 runs in a total of 20 matches in the IPL and has scored two half-centuries. Given his ability to play big innings and future prospects, Mumbai can retain him.

Possibility of return with RTM card

Mumbai Indians will not have the option of RTM card if they retain all 5 players. However, the team can bring back one of the players like Ishan Kishan or Dewald Brevis through RTM in the auction. Ishan Kishan's batting contribution and the young talent of Dewald Brevis can be important for Mumbai's future.

Conclusion

Mumbai Indians, which is the most successful team in IPL, is trying to adopt a balanced retention policy this time. Along with experienced players like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rohit Sharma, Mumbai is working towards building a strong team by including young players like Nehal Wadhera. It will be interesting to see in the upcoming auction and season whether Mumbai learns from its past failures and becomes champion once again.