IPL 2019 Auction: 5 players MI should target 

The preparations for the 2019 edition of the IPL are in full swing now. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had asked all the eight franchises to submit the list of released players by November 15. Some interesting choices have been made by all the franchises.

Mumbai Indians have retained 18 players and released 10 players from their squad. Rohit Sharma will continue to lead the side. Apart from Rohit, the 3-time champions have also retained Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Markande, Aditya Tare, Ishan Kisan, Rahul Chahar, Anukul Roy, and Suryakumar Yadav.

In the overseas department, the Mukesh Ambani owned franchise retained Kieron Pollard and Evin Lewis of the Windies, Ben Cutting and Jason Behrendorff of Australia, Mitchell McClenaghan and Adam Milne of New Zealand. In addition to this, they have also already acquired South African wicket-keeper batsman Quinton De Kock from the Royal Challengers Bangalore

Mumbai have released a total of 8 players. These include South Africa's Jean-Paul Duminy, Australian fast-bowler Pat Cummins, Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman, and Sri Lankan spinner Akila Dananjaya have also been released. Other players that have been released are Saurabh Tiwary, Pradeep Sangwan, Sharad Lumba, Tajinder Singh Dhillon, UP pacer Mohsin Khan and Kerala's MD Nidheesh.

All these changes have left Mumbai a bit thin in the pace bowling department and the spin department. With the auctions likely to be held in mid-December in Jaipur, we take a look at 5 players that Mumbai Indians should target at the auctions:

Note: They will be allowed to buy only one foreigner.

#1 Mohammed Shami:

The Mumbai Indians are paper thin in terms of Indian pace bowling department. They have only Jasprit Bumrah as a recognized Indian fast bowler. However, World Cup 2019 is scheduled straight after the IPL and with captain Virat Kohli publicly stating that he wants his pace spearhead well rested ahead of the World Cup, it is highly likely that Bumrah will be rested for the matches scheduled in the last few weeks of the IPL.

Mumbai can fill that void in the pace bowling department by going after Mohammed Shami at the auctions. Shami was released by the Delhi Daredevils after a dismal show in the 2018 edition of the IPL. However, Shami is a proven match winner with tons of experience.

The fact that Shami is a wicket-taking bowler makes him a hot property at the auctions. With conditions at Wankhede conducive to seam bowling, the Mumbai team management should make him their prime target at the auctions if they are to pose any sort of title challenge.

#2 Jaydev Unadkat:

Jaydev Unadkat is another player who might be prime property at the auctions. Unadkat created history last year by becoming the highest paid Indian bowler in the history of IPL, going for 11.5 crores to the Rajasthan Royals. However, his performances on the field failed to match his selling price as the star from the 2017 edition of the IPL failed to pick up wickets when it mattered the most.

However, Unadkat had a stellar IPL-2017 in which he emerged as one of the leading wicket takers and helped his team Pune in making the final. Unadkat has been around for a while now, his experience and his variations of pace in the death overs may prove pivotal for the Mumbai Indians who lack in death bowling options having released the Bangladeshi speedster, Mustafizur Rahman. Unadkat may not come cheap this year as well but he is definitely worth the gamble for the Mumbai Indians.

#3 Chris Woakes:

On paper it seems that Mumbai have great depth in the pace bowling department. They have the likes of Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard and Ben Cutting. However, Hardik Pandya is likely to be rested in the later stages of IPL 2019 as he is an integral part of the Indian one day team. Kieron Pollard has lost his mojo and struggles to get going with the bat. Ben Cutting did not have a great time in the limited opportunities he got last year.

One all-rounder whom Mumbai should target at the auctions is star Englishman Chris Woakes who has been released after an indifferent season with the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Woakes is one of the most underrated players in World cricket. He is a pretty decent bat down the order and can swing the ball in the powerplay. Woakes may not be available for the entire duration of the IPL but he will certainly influence any match that he is a part of.

#4 Axar Patel:

The spin bowling department of the Mumbai Indians is led by the inexperienced Mayank Markande who was a revelation last year. He is supported by the “round armish” left arm spinner Krunal Pandya and Rahul Chahar, who is still learning the trade.

The tracks in March/April are all dried up and are helpful for spin bowling. However, such inexperience in the spin bowling department hardly inspires confidence.

Mumbai would do well to rope in left-arm spinner Axar Patel who has tons of experience of playing in the IPL. The 24-year-old from Gujarat has been playing the IPL since 2014 and has 67 wickets to his name. Axar is very economical with the ball and has improved his batting in the recent past.

Although he is similar to Krunal Pandya in a lot of ways, Axar is more effective with the ball and can provide you with some tight overs when the heat is on. The acquisition of Axar at the auctions would make the Mumbai Indians a force to reckon with.

#5 Carlos Brathwaite:

Kieron Pollard has been one of the pillars of the Mumbai Indians during the past few years. He has played a pivotal role during previous successful campaigns for Mumbai. However, the big-hitting all-rounder from the West Indies has lost his Midas touch in the recent past. Pollard made just 133 runs during the last season of IPL and went wicketless with the ball.

One player that can replace Pollard from the starting lineup is Carlos Brathwaite. After smashing those four unforgettable sixes in the final of World T20 in 2016, not a lot has gone right for the West Indies T20 captain.

Brathwaite has struggled to make an impact with bat/ball at the international level. After being acquired by the Sunrisers last year, he struggled for game time but played some vital cameos in the limited opportunities he got. His arm power can clear the ropes on any ground. If he can work on his batting display against the spinners, Brathwaite can guide Mumbai to their fourth IPL title.