IPL 2018 Auction: 4 Players on whom Mumbai Indians could use the Right to Match (RTM) card

Kieron Pollard started his IPL career with Mumbai Indians from season 3

When the retentions for the latest season of the IPL were announced, the Mumbai Indians retained three key players, skipper Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah. There was speculation that Krunal Pandya may be retained in place of Jasprit Bumrah, but Mumbai followed through with the expected plan and retained their ace bowler.

Now that Mumbai has retained 3 capped Indian players, they can use Right To Match(RTM) cards on two players. It will be interesting to see which Mumbai player gets retained by RTM cards as there are a number of contenders:

#4 Kieron Pollard

Pollard has been the face of the Mumbai Indians right from the start of his IPL career. He has been an integral part of the side, and also one of the big match winners for Mumbai.

The tall West Indies player has not only won matches with his batting and bowling but also with his amazing fielding skills. The big-hitting batsman has an impressive IPL career, with 2343 runs in 123 matches at a strike of 146.52, and with the ball, he has picked up 56 wickets.

Pollard is still 30 years of age and considering his fitness level, Mumbai would not hesitate to use the RTM card and retain him for further seasons.

#3 Mitchell McClenaghan

Mcclenaghan has been the strike bowler for Mumbai Indians
Mitchell McClenaghan has been the strike bowler for Mumbai Indians

McClenaghan had an amazing IPL last year with 19 wickets to his name and was one of the leading bowlers in terms of wickets. He has overall taken 54 wickets in 40 matches at an average of 24.41.

He performed well in the absence of Lasith Malinga and took wickets in critical situations. With his aggressive bowling, he played a big role in Mumbai Indians winning the IPL crown in 2015.

Considering Malinga's poor form in bowling, Mumbai might use the RTM card on McClenaghan to form a potent bowling attack with Bumrah.

#2 Jos Buttler

Butler on his day can demolish any attack and win the match single handedly
Buttler on his day can demolish any attack and win the match single handedly

When it comes to shorter formats, Jos Buttler is one of the most dangerous batsmen in the world. Apart from his fluent stroke play, he has the ability to play unorthodox shots which can be very effective in T20 games.

Buttler has scored 527 runs in 24 matches at an average of 25.09. Last year, he scored 77 runs off 37 balls against Kings XI Punjab and chased down the huge target of 199 in just 15.3 overs.

Mumbai will be eager to use the RTM card on Buttler, as he not only provides balance in the team with his batting prowess but also with his wicket-keeping skills. Last year, he was handy as an opening batsman and provided Mumbai with flying starts.

#1 Krunal Pandya

Krunal has been match winner for Mumbai with his all round abilities
Krunal has been match winner for Mumbai with his all round abilities

If there is one player on whom Mumbai Indians want to definitely use the RTM card, then it would be none other than Krunal Pandya.

He was instrumental in his side winning the title last year, scoring 243 runs at an impressive average of 34.71 with a healthy strike rate of 135. Also with the ball, he took 10 wickets with an economy of 6.85.

Apart from his all-round abilities, he has a good temperament and plays with maturity. Last year, he showed nerves of steel in the finals and scored a valuable 47 runs, which also earned him the Man of the Match trophy. Expect a bidding war for this Baroda superstar and if Mumbai plans to use the RTM card on Krunal, they might have to pay a very heavy price.

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Edited by Anuradha Santhanam