Aakash Chopra picks the two players Mumbai Indians should retain ahead of the mega auction

Former Indian batsman Aakash Chopra has opined on the players the Mumbai Indians must retain ahead of the mega auction for IPL 2022. Aakash Chopra expressed his views on his YouTube channel and slammed the Rajasthan Royals following their loss to Kolkata Knight Riders.

Mumbai Indians have one of the best line-ups and Indian contingent in the IPL. It has helped them win five titles. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav form the nucleus of the team. However, Chopra feels not all are obvious retentions.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra stated that Mumbai Indians must retain their captain Rohit Sharma and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. The 43-year old feels with only two players allowed for retention before the mega auction, Sharma and Bumrah should be the frontrunners.

Also Check: IPL Live Score | IPL Points Table | IPL Schedule

"The two obvious names Mumbai Indians should retain are Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah. You can also think of Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and Kieron Pollard. However, Sharma and Bumrah should be the two biggest retentions as franchises can only keep a couple of players ahead of the mega auction."

While the Mumbai Indians walked as favorites for IPL 2021, things haven't transpired as per expectations. Yadav and Kishan have been the biggest disappointments after shining last year. Hence, they will most likely miss out on a playoff spot this year.

It's beyond my understanding to see these many changes: Aakash Chopra

Following Rajasthan's 86-run loss to Kolkata on Thursday, Chopra was shocked to see the series of changes made throughout the tournament. He highlighted the need for an overhaul of the franchise ahead of IPL 2022.

"Rajasthan needs to press the reboot button as I'm baffled by the selections. They first played Mayank Markande, then Shreyas Gopal, dropped Gopal, involved Anuj Rawat, before that played Akash Singh and threw Kuldip Yadav into the mix, and before that featured Jaydev Unadkat. Thus, it's beyond my understanding to see these many changes."

The Sanju Samson-led side arrived in the UAE as the fifth-ranked team in the points table. However, they have slid to seventh after managing their second score of below 100 in IPL 2021. Rahul Tewatia scored 44 out of their 85 runs against the Knight Riders on Thursday.