IPL 2022 Auction: Ranking MI’s buys on Day 1

On a day when there was plenty of hectic activity and some intense bidding, the Mumbai Indians (MI) preferred to remain relatively quiet and observe most of the action. As a result, they ended up purchasing only four of the 74 players sold on Day 1 of the two-day IPL mega auction in Bengaluru on Saturday.

Having said that, MI had to their credit the top buy of the day, Ishan Kishan. The 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, who was released by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2022 auction, was picked by MI for a whopping ₹15.25 crore. The five-time IPL winners also bought leg-spinner Murugan Ashwin (₹1.6 crore), medium pacer Basil Thampi (₹30 lakh) and South Africa’s U19 sensation Dewald Brevis (₹3 crore).

Following Day 1 of the IPL auction, MI now have a squad of eight players (four retained), with two of them being overseas cricketers. Heading into Day 2, they have a purse of ₹27.85 crore left.

IPL 2022 Auction: Analyzing Mumbai Indians’ Day 1 buys

With Day 1 of the auction over, we analyze the four players picked by MI and what kind of value they can add to the franchise.

#1 Ishan Kishan

Talented wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan is definitely a very good purchase. Whether or not he can justify his humungous price tag of ₹15.25 crore is something only time will tell. However, there is no doubt about the fact that the left-handed batter is among the most destructive strikers of the cricket ball, irrespective of his thin frame.

The youngster had a poor IPL 2021 campaign as he managed only 241 runs in 10 games at an average of 26.77 and 133.88. The figures were much worse but Kishan redeemed himself in the last two matches of the edition, hammering 50 off 25 against Rajasthan and 84 off 32 against Hyderabad. He was also the leading run-getter for MI, with 516 runs from 14 games, when the franchise lifted the IPL for the fifth time in 2020.

Experts were surprised that MI did not retain Kishan ahead of the auction. However, by going all out for him at the bidding table, the franchise have proved how highly they rate the southpaw.

The advantage with Kishan is that he can open the innings, bat in the middle order and keep wickets if needed. That, perhaps, explains why MI were so keen to have him back.

#2 Dewald Brevis

Despite his U19 World Cup exploits, South Africa’s rising star Dewald Brevis was a surprise pick by MI on Day 1 of the IPL auction. After all, he has hardly played any T20 cricket. But Brevis’ sensational show in the U19 World Cup 2022 in the West Indies was too hard to ignore.

The dashing right-hander batter hammered 506 runs in six matches at an average of 84.33 and a strike rate of 90.19 in the ICC event. The stats include two hundreds and three fifties as Brevis finished as the leading run-getter in the recently concluded U19 World Cup edition.

He has plenty of strokes in the book and when someone is compared to a legend like AB de Villiers, he has to be special. “Baby AB” can also turn his arm over and bowl some useful leg-spin. If Brevis gets a chance to prove himself in IPL 2022 and does well, the decision to pick him will be considered a masterstroke.

#3 Basil Thampi

Uncapped Kerala medium pacer Basil Thampi can be viewed as a smart purchase by MI for a price of 30 lakh. They needed to balance out the math after having splurged heavily on Kishan. In that context, Thampi’s purchase makes sense.

The 28-year-old is a reasonably experienced campaigner in the domestic circuit. He has played 68 T20 games and claimed 69 wickets at a strike rate of 20.6. In the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22, he did a good job for Kerala. In six matches, he picked up 10 scalps at an average of 24.80 and an economy rate of 5.27.

In the IPL, he has featured in 20 matches in which he has claimed 17 wickets at an 40.82 and an economy of 9.79. Those aren’t great numbers but he does have some skill with the ball. Thampi, who last represented SRH in 2020, will be keen to prove his worth to MI.

#4 Murugan Ashwin

Leg-spinner Murugan Ashwin’s purchase for ₹1.6 crore was a bit of a surprise. The 31-year-old was not very effective for Tamil Nadu in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy even though his team lifted the title. Even in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final against Himachal Pradesh, he was taken for 57 in seven overs as Tamil Nadu failed to defend a healthy total.

In the IPL, Ashwin has only 26 wickets to his name in 34 matches at an average of 33.88 and an economy rate of 7.86. Last season, he played three matches for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) but proved completely ineffective as he managed only one wicket at an average of 97.

Ashwin has an impressive T20 record overall, having picked up 82 wickets in 85 games at an average of 25.74. Even so, whether MI made a smart choice by paying ₹1.6 crore for his services is debatable.

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