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Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Rohit Sharma will have to wait until the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 auction to find out who his opening partner will be for the upcoming season.
The five-time champions have let go of both Quinton de Kock and Ishan Kishan. MI retained Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav and Kieron Pollard ahead of the IPL 2022 auction.
The team will have 48 crores to spend in the auction, which is set to be held on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru.
Quinton de Kock has been Sharma's regular partner-in-crime at the top of the order for the last few years. However, Ishan Kishan has also played the role when either player was injured or unavailable.
Retaining Rohit Sharma was a no-brainer for MI, with the 35-year-old having captained them to a record five IPL titles. This included back-to-back triumphs in 2019 and 2020.
The destructive opener is third on the list of all-time highest run-scorers in the league's history, with 5611 runs from 208 innings to his name. Sharma's strike rate in the league has been 130.39.
One of the top priorities for the team management will now be to find a partner who will complement Rohit's style, which is to play more of an anchor's role. MI are likely to try for Quinton de Kock once again in the auction. However, if they don't manage to secure him, they will still have other good options.
Here are 3 players who can be good opening partners for Rohit Sharma.
#3 Jonny Bairstow
The swashbuckling Englishman would be as close to a like-for-like replacement for Quinton de Kock as MI can get.
An aggressive overseas opener who also keeps wickets, Jonny Bairstow would be the perfect foil for Rohit Sharma, with his ability to give MI quick starts. While Rohit can play the anchor, Bairstow can go about attacking from the start.
Bairstow averages 41.52 in the IPL with a strike rate of 142.19. He has been a consistent performer for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) since making his IPL debut in 2019.
The only factor that goes against Bairstow from MI's perspective is that he is a right-hander and de Kock and Ishan Kishan both offered left-handed options.
#2 David Warner
The David Warner-SRH saga hogged the news towards the end of last season. However, the bottom line is that the Australian opener is going to be available in the IPL 2022 auction.
Warner showed that he can still be the destructive opener that teams fear in the 2021 T20 World Cup. The veteran southpaw averages 41.59 and strikes at 139.36 in the IPL and he is likely to be in hot demand in the auction.
After how things played out with SRH, he will also have a point to prove and can help reignite MI after a disappointing IPL 2021 season. Along with Rohit Sharma, Warner can form a deadly opening partnership for the five-time champions.
#1 Devdutt Padikkal
The dashing young left-hander was not retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ahead of the new season. The Mumbai Indians may be interested in swooping him up as Rohit Sharma's opening partner.
Devdutt Padikkal has been an impressive talent since making his IPL debut in 2020. He even scored his maiden century in the tournament last year in a chase against Rajasthan Royals.
Padikkal is just 21 and has a long future ahead of him. While his strike rate is not the highest, MI may invest in his potential. Padikkal would also contribute to the right hand-left hand combination up top.
