3 foreign stars Mumbai Indians could target at IPL Auction 2019

The Mumbai Indians had a disappointing season last year, having failed to qualify for the playoffs finishing 5th on the league table. Being considered as one of the powerhouses of the Indian Premier League, they performed well below the expectations set by them in the last couple of seasons.

The Mumbai Indians have released overseas players like Mustafizur Rahman, Pat Cummins, JP Duminy, Akila Dananjaya. Despite this, they still have a lot of overseas talent in their current squad. Having filled 7 out of the 8 overseas slots, the Mumbai Indians need to be wise while picking the last foreign player to complete the puzzle.

Let us have a look at the 3 stars players Mumbai Indians could target at the IPL Auction 2019.

#3 Shimron Hetmyer

Shimron Hetmyer is certain to be in huge demand in the auction

Hetmyer is one of the most talented emerging players in the Caribbean. The Indian spectators witnessed his attacking prowess during the recent West Indies tour of India. He was the only standout West Indian batsman who took the strong Indian bowling attack head-on and proved to be a threat to India during the entire series.

Having scored 440 runs in 12 innings at an average of 40 and an impressive strike rate of 148.14 for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League, Hetmyer will be one of the hottest foreign property at the auction.

Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, are known for buying quality West Indian players at the auction. This can be evident from the fact that in their current retained squad they have big hitters like Pollard and Lewis.

Hence, there is a good chance that Mumbai Indians will look to secure the services of Shimron Hetmyer for the 2019 IPL.

#2 Lasith Malinga

CLT20 2012 Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians

Lasith Malinga has made himself available at the 2019 IPL auction, having been a mentor for Mumbai Indians last season. He is a proven performer in this tournament as he has showcased it time and again in the last so many seasons of the Indian Premier League.

Having picked up a fifer against England in the ODI series recently, Malinga has made a good comeback in the international arena, having been out for more than a year.

Being the premier fast bowler for the Mumbai Indians side for nine years from 2009-17, Malinga has an emotional connection with the team, having won the tournament thrice for them in 2013, 2015, and 2017. Also, his ability to ball toe-crushing yorkers in the death overs has helped them win matches under challenging situations.

Keeping this in mind, Mumbai Indians might again look to get back their champion bowler at the auction.

#1 Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell is one of the most aggressive T20 batsmen in the world at the moment. His ability to hit all over the park, to play innovative shots and hence dominate the bowlers especially the spinners are quite well known.

Further, he has recently been in good form in this format as he plundered the Indian bowling attack especially Krunal Pandya at the Gabba. Despite this, he is also known to be inconsistent and likes to target the boundary from the first ball itself. This has been one of the reasons for him being released.

Having been bought by the Mumbai Indians in 2013 for a massive price of $1 million, he ended up spending much of the season on the bench. However, there is a chance that the Mumbai Indians will look to have a reunion with the player in the 2019 season.