3 reasons why MI signing Riley Meredith is the wrong move

Jhye Richardson, who was picked up by the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction for ₹1.5 Cr, will not feature in the 2023 season due to a recurring hamstring injury.

Richardson was initially injured during the Big Bash League (BBL), due to which he missed a significant part of the campaign. He has also missed a few matches in the Marsh Cup and Sheffield Shield due to injury.

The 5-time champions have announced Richardson's countryman, Riley Meredith, as his replacement for IPL 2023. The 26-year old Meredith had a stellar Big Bash League campaign which might have prompted his selection. The Aussie has previously played for the Mumbai Indians as well.

While Meredith is quite a like-for-like replacement for Richardson, he is still not the best choice. Here, we look at 3 reasons why Mumbai have erred in picking Meredith:

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#1 Tends to leak runs

Meredith can bowl quick but he is not too accurate as far as his line and length is concerned. The erratic nature of his bowling means that he is someone who has a tendency to leak runs.

This is something that might cost Mumbai Indians as they already have an inexperienced bowling attack, barring Jofra Archer, which can be taken apart on any given day.

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#2 Poor IPL record

Riley Meredith has previously played for two teams in the IPL, one being the Punjab Kings and the other, Mumbai Indians itself. Meredith's record in the IPL is not impressive at all as he has picked up only 12 wickets in 13 games, which is not a great statistic for someone who is considered a wicket-taker.

His economy is also on the higher side at 9 runs per over. Meredith came into the IPL with a big reputation but failed to live up to it.

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#3 Recent form and lack of game time

Meredith had a good run in the 2022-23 Big Bash League but his form has been on the wane post the tournament. He played one first-class and one List-A game and they proved to be quite tough for the 26-year old.

Moreover, he has played only two competitive games in the last two months, which could make it difficult for him to adjust in a high-pressure league like the Indian Premier League.