3 teams that desperately need Indian fast bowlers at the IPL 2023 auction

Franchises will look to fine-tune their squads at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 auction in Kochi on Friday, December 22.

A total of 405 cricketers will be auctioned, out of which 273 are Indians and 132 are overseas players, including four from associate nations. A maximum of 87 slots are now available with up to 30 for overseas cricketers.

While a few teams will look to add batters or spinners to their ranks, some franchises will set their eyes on Indian fast bowlers to strengthen their pace attack for the coming seasons.

Indian pacers such as Ishant Sharma, Jaydev Unadkat, and Shivam Mavi will be up for grabs on Friday night.

On that note, let's take a look at three franchises that desperately need Indian fast bowlers in the IPL 2023 auction.

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#3 Mumbai Indians

Five-time IPL champion Mumbai Indians (MI) had a dismal campaign last season, finishing last in the standings. They largely struggled due to their inept bowling unit.

Rohit Sharma and Co. will certainly look to add some more firepower to their pace department. Apart from Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer, MI lack quality pacers, which is an area of concern for them.

With ₹20.55 crore remaining in their kitty, the Mumbai Indians will look to sign a couple of young Indian pacers for the future.

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#2 Punjab Kings

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) are yet to win the IPL title. They have struggled to strike the right balance, which has hurt them over the years.

While there are a few areas of concern, one department that will keep the Punjab management on its toes will be the bowling unit. They only have Arshdeep Singh as the lone specialist Indian fast bowler in their ranks.

Hence, the franchise will look to sign a few Indian fast bowlers at the auction to strengthen their pace battery ahead of the next season.

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#1 Royal Challengers Bangalore

Another team that will look to sign a few Indian fast bowlers are the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). They struggled badly due to their poor bowling unit in the last edition of the tournament.

The likes of Akash Deep and Siddarth Kaul leaked too many runs and failed to live up to expectations. RCB have Mohammed Siraj as their sole reliable Indian pacer.

Mike Hesson's team will be aiming to recruit a few Indian pacers at the auction to create a pool of fast bowlers for the upcoming IPL season.

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