IPL 2018: 5 players Mumbai Indians should tie down

After the Indian home season got over on a high with a series win over Sri Lanka, the focus now shifts to the IPL auctions to be held in January. Ahead of the 11th edition of the Indian Premier League, the BCCI has released guidelines for the auction and the much-awaited retention policy for the participating teams. The deadline for submitting the retention list for all the 8 participating teams is January 4th. The auction, a two-day affair, will be held on January 27 and 28 in Bangalore.

IPL 2017 was one of the most successful seasons for Mumbai Indians so far. Led by Rohit Sharma, the team finished on top of the points table after winning 10 of the 14 league stage matches. Unluckily they were defeated in the Qualifier 1 but made their way into the final after thumping down Kolkata Knight Riders in the Qualifier 2.

In the final, playing against Rising Pune Supergiant, they managed to score just 129 runs and it looked like the cup had slipped from their hands. But on the back of an outstanding bowling and fielding effort by the players, Mumbai Indians restricted Pune to 128 runs, just two short of the target. With the cup in Mumbai's camp, the team will look forward to winning it for the fourth time.

Here are five players that Mumbai Indians are likely to retain.

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#1 Rohit Sharma

Retention Mode: Pre-Auction Retention

Rohit Sharma is one of the most elegant batsmen when it comes to the shorter formats of the game. He has already shown his batting abilities by scoring three double hundreds in ODIs. Also, now he has the fastest T20 international ton to his name after scoring a 35 ball hundred in the recently concluded T20 series against Sri Lanka.

In the IPL, he has terrific track record playing for Mumbai Indians, both as a captain and as a batsman. Earlier representing Deccan Chargers, he played a crucial role in the now-defunct Hyderabad based franchise winning the title in the 2009 edition. He scored 362 runs in that season and took 11 wickets which included a hat-trick in the 16 matches that he played.

Rohit has been the most successful captain in the IPL, leading Mumbai Indians to 3 title wins in 2013, 2015 and 2017 respectively. His captaincy was on test again when he led the Indian team in the recent ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka which India won 2-1 and 3-0 respectively.

The Mumbaikar is third on the list of the highest run scorers in the IPL having scored 4207 runs in 159 matches at a decent average of 32.61 and a strike rate of 130.89. He is an integral part of the Mumbai Indians setup now, and the team will look to retain him ahead of the auction.

#2 Hardik Pandya

Retention Mode: Pre-Auction Retention

Hardik Pandya is another integral member of the Mumbai Indians camp. They identified the talent in young Pandya and bought the Baroda all-rounder in the 2015 edition of the IPL. He showed his capabilities right from the first match that he played for them, hitting long sixes and finishing the innings when the team needed him the most.

Soon, he received a call-up to the international T20 squad where he showed his potential. Since then there has been no turning back for Pandya. He is now a regular in the Indian T20, ODI, and Test squad as a fast-bowling all-rounder. He has even been compared to World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev, who himself praised the lad.

Pandya played a prominent role in the team winning the title in 2015 and 2017 editions, though he could not do much in the 2016 edition where he managed to score just 44 runs and take just 3 wickets in 11 matches. In the 2017 edition, he came back strong and scored 250 runs at a strike rate of 156.25 and took 6 wickets. His successful run in the internationals makes him one of the most valuable players in the IPL.

#3 Jasprit Bumrah

Retention Mode: Pre-Auction Retention

Jasprit Bumrah has been another find of the IPL. India's search for a death over specialist bowler finally got over when Bumrah showed his class in the T20 series against Australia in 2016 which India won 3-0. Bumrah was bought by Mumbai Indians in the 2013 edition of the league but did not get many chances then as MI had leading fast bowler Lasith Malinga in their team.

It was only in IPL 2016 that Bumrah showed his brilliance, clinching 15 wickets in 14 matches at an economy of 7.80. Since then, he has cemented his place in the Indian cricket team. In the 2017 edition, his performance improved dramatically and he took 20 wickets in 16 matches at an economy of 7.35 to end up 3rd on the list of highest wicket-takers.

He has been nurtured well under the guidance of Sri Lankan great Lasith Malinga. Bumrah's recent performance in internationals makes him a preferred choice for retention.

#4 Mitchell McClenaghan

Retention Mode: Right to Match

New Zealand fast bowler, Mitchell McClenaghan has been a mainstay in the Mumbai Indians camp for the past three seasons. He played one of the biggest roles in Mumbai Indians winning the 2015 and 2017 editions of the tournament. It was Mitchell's aggressive bowling that supported Lasith Malinga in 2015 and brought Mumbai Indians up in the points table after the team started the season with four defeats.

McClenaghan has a terrific track record in the IPL. In 40 matches that he has played for MI, he has taken 54 wickets at an economy of 8.61. In the 2017 edition, he finished fourth on the list of highest wicket-takers, taking 19 wickets from 14 matches. Though his economy of 9.38 was a bit of concern for the team, he overshadowed it by fetching crucial breakthroughs regularly. Mumbai Indians will look to retain him in the auctions using RTM.

#5 Krunal Pandya

Retention Mode: Right to Match

Krunal Pandya, the elder of the Pandya brothers is as talented as his brother Hardik. Krunal became an overnight IPL sensation after his blistering knock of 86 runs off just 37 balls against Delhi Daredevils in the 2016 edition of the IPL.

After being bought by Mumbai Indians in 2016 for Rs. 2 crores, he showed his immense potential by scoring 237 runs in 12 matches at an astonishing strike rate of 191.12. Also, he took 6 wickets in as many matches.

In the following season, he scored 243 runs in 13 matches and took 10 wickets in an impressive economy of 6.82. He has trapped AB de Villiers four times in the two seasons, enough to prove his mettle as a bowler. Krunal was the man of the match of the final in 2017 for playing a crucial knock of 47 runs when other MI batsmen failed to deliver on the big occasion.

Though MI won't be able to secure him through direct retention, he will be a preferred candidate for retention through RTM.