IPL 2018: 3 unsold players who could have helped MI qualify for playoffs

The disastrous start to the season cost Mumbai Indians a place in the playoffs this season. They fell at the final hurdle – losing to bottom-placed Delhi Daredevils by 11 runs.

The defending champions had a very strong squad going into the tournament and were tipped to be one of the favourites to win the title again. But they made far too many mistakes in the season, a trend that started at the auctions itself.

Here are 3 players who could have helped MI reach the playoffs:

#3 David Wiese

Essex v Sussex - Cricket

Mumbai Indian used their RTM card when Kieron Pollard was sold to Delhi Daredevils for 5.4 crores. The 31-year-old West Indian has not justified his price tag and has been surprisingly poor this season.

David Wiese would have been a good 2nd option as he’s been in good touch of late. The South African could have chipped in when Pollard was not able to do well and that would have got the West Indian charged up and got the better out of him as well.

They could have signed him as a replacement for Pat Cummins instead of Adam Milne.

#2 Shaun Marsh

Big Bash League - Perth Scorchers v Sydney Sixers

Suryakumar Yadav delivered more often than not for MI this season but his opening partner, Evin Lewis was not so good. While the West Indian did score a lot of runs, he was inconsistent and that didn’t bode well for the defending champions.

Shaun Marsh would have been a handy opener for them this season and they should have signed him in the auctions. For a base price of 1.5 crores, he would have been a steal – especially looking at what he did in the IPL with Kings XI Punjab.

With a strike rate of over 130 and an average touching 40 in the IPL, he could have given MI a good start and a lot more freedom to Suryakumar Yadav at the other end.

#1 Angelo Mathews

India v Sri Lanka - ICC Champions Trophy

Angelo Mathews was among the 15 players whose names were not even called at the auctions. The Sri Lankan could have been a brilliant pick for MI – especially looking at Pollard's form right now.

He knows the Indian pitches well and has enough IPL experience to do well in big games. He’s good in all departments and could have chipped in with a few wickets and runs when required.

With just Pollard as the recognized foreign all-rounder in the squad, it put a lot of pressure on the Pandya brothers and that was seen in a lot of the matches.