IPL 2021: Scott Styris reckons Mumbai Indians made a mistake by picking up Marco Jansen

In the IPL 2021 season opener between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore, several new faces made their debuts for their respective teams. Among the new players on display was young South African pace bowler Marco Jansen.

The 20-year-old speedster enjoyed a wonderful IPL debut for the defending champions. He picked up the wickets of Glenn Maxwell and Shahbaz Ahmed and conceded just 28 runs in his four-over spell.

Jansen followed that up with another solid showing against two-time IPL winners Kolkata Knight Riders. Despite going wicketless in his two overs, he managed to keep things tight at the back.

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Former New Zealand batsman Scott Styris has been impressed by Marco Jansen’s performances for Mumbai Indians so far in IPL 2021. However, despite the South African youngster's good start, Styris believes the Mumbai Indians made a mistake by signing Jansen up for this year’s IPL.

With a mega auction scheduled before the start of the IPL 2022 season, Jansen’s shares will be considerably higher by then, especially if the pacer has a successful campaign this year. Styris believes it will be hard for Mumbai Indians to bring Marco Jansen back as they’ll have to pay a lot more to secure his services.

“In some ways, I think this is a bad move for Mumbai Indians to pick up Marco Jansen right now, because now, as we are doing, we are talking about it, everybody is talking about it,” said Styris.

“And with the possibility of a major auction next year, I think Mumbai may have to suddenly pay up big bucks because they are not going to keep him. So, I would suggest, to think a little bit long-term, maybe put him on the ice this year and Mumbai Indians could have swept in next year and had him for a long time like Lasith Malinga,” Scott Styris added.

Styris believes that if MI were willing to sit Marco Jansen for a year, they would be able to secure his long-term future and keep him with the franchise for an extended tenure, as they did with Lasith Malinga. The Sri Lankan speedster was the Mumbai Indians' primary pacer for the better part of a decade.

"He touched 143mph, which is serious pace" - Scott Styris on Mumbai Indians' Marco Jansen

Styris was extremely impressed by the South African’s bowling exploits in the first match against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

While speaking on the Star Sports show Cricket Connect, the former New Zealand international explained:

“I thought it was a phenomenal performance. I thought he was incredibly impressive and the reason for that is not about the simple factor that he gets bounce because he is six foot eight, which is what you expect. He touched 143mph, which is a serious pace. He is going to get bounce if he has got pace.”

Scott Styris also believes the slower-ball variations will work wonders for Marco Jansen in IPL 2021.