IPL 2018: 5 players Mumbai Indians should retain

Three time champions Mumbai Indians have been one of the best teams in the tournament. The team does boast a strong group of overseas players, but its real strength is Indian firepower. With players like Rohit Sharma, Parthiv Patel, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Ambati Rayudu, Harbhajan Singh, Nitish Rana and Krunal Pandya, Mumbai has a formidable team.

With major re-shuffling of teams due next season, it would be interesting to see who the Mumbai Indians retain in their squad.

Teams can retain five players, subject to a maximum of three capped Indian players, a maximum of two overseas players and a maximum of two uncapped Indian players.

Here are five players I feel the Mumbai Indians should retain.

#1 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma

'Hitman' Sharma is one of the best openers today. He paces his innings very well and has the appetite to score big runs. He was bought by the Mumbai Indians in 2011. The Mumbai boy has been very good for his side, captaining his team to victory in the 2013, 2015 and 2017 editions of the tournament. He struggled to find form in the previous season, but Mumbai would be happy to see the skipper back in form now.

Rohit Sharma is the third highest run-scorer in IPL history, scoring 4,207 runs in 159 games at an average of 32.61 and a strike rate of 130.89. He has a century and 32 half-centuries to his name and his best score in the tournament is an unbeaten 109. Sharma has smashed 172 sixes in the IPL and has remained not out 25 times.

Mumbai Indians should retain their skipper for the next season.

#2 Kieron Pollard

Kieron Pollard

The big West Indian has played multiple match-saving, and even match-winning knocks for the Mumbai Indians. He can smash huge sixes seemingly effortlessly and is an excellent fielder. Pollard can chip in with a few overs of medium pace for his captain and is pretty handy with the ball in hand. He was bought by the team in 2010 and has since been a star performer for them.

Pollard has scored 2.343 runs in 123 IPL games at an average of 28.92 and a strike rate of 146.52. He has 12 half-centuries, 147 sixes and the best score of 78 to his name in the tournament.

Pollard is a very handy all-rounder and Mumbai Indians should retain him.

#3 Mitchell McClenaghan

Mitchell McClenaghan

The quickie from New Zealand has had a couple of good seasons with the Mumbai Indians. He has been among the top 10 wicket-takers in the last two editions of the IPL and has even been quite handy with the bat. The Kiwi pacer has often been picked by the side ahead of Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson and has picked crucial wickets for his team in almost every game he has played.

McClenaghan has 54 IPL wickets in his 40 games and has best figures of 4/21 in the tournament.

Mumbai Indians should not let him go.

#4 Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya

The 'Destiny's Child' has been the best find of the tournament. Pandya impressed the selectors while with the Mumbai Indians and earned a regular place in the national side. Handy with both bat and ball, Pandya is a great all-round cricketer. He can bowl quick, hit big, has a safe pair of hands, and is a complete package on the field.

Pandya has scored 406 runs in 37 IPL games at an average of 21.36 and a strike rate of 142.45. He has the best score of an unbeaten 61 in the tournament. He has also picked up 10 wickets in the 31 overs that he has bowled for his side and has best figures of 2/22.

Mumbai Indians are sure to retain this lad.

#5 Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah is another great find of the IPL. He has been excellent for his side in the IPL, and playing along with the likes of Lasith Malinga, has mastered the art of bowling perfect yorkers and is a deadly death overs bowler. After his impressive performance in the IPL, Bumrah was picked by the Indian selectors to play for the national side and now is a regular starter for the team.

Bumrah has picked up 46 wickets in 47 IPL games and has best figures of 3/7. He was the third highest wicket-taker in the previous edition of the tournament, where he picked up 20 wickets in 16 games.

The team are sure to retain the pacer.