IPL 2018 auction: 5 players on whom Mumbai Indians might use the Right To Match card

The defending IPL champions Mumbai Indians have retained their core, and now would be looking for retaining their other star players through the RTM provision. Mumbai Indians at the retention event announced their retained players Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah for 15 crores, 11 crores and 7 crores respectively.

Retaining 3 players leaves them with 2 Right To Match cards and 47 Crores in the purse for the auction. Mumbai Indians can retain an Overseas player or an Uncapped Indian player as they have already retained 3 capped Indian players.

The auctions taking place on 27 and 28 January will reveal all the retentions for Mumbai Indians. Here's a look at some possible retentions for Mumbai using Right To Match Cards.

Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga for the Mumbai Indians [file]

The only player in IPL history to scalp 150+ wickets, Malinga is an obvious choice for retention. Lasith Malinga is one of the best pacers Sri Lanka have ever produced. Having played 110 matches for Mumbai Indians, Malinga has been an integral part of the all three IPL winning seasons for Mumbai Indians.

Malinga, being a death-overs specialist, would work in unison with Jasprit Bumrah. Mumbai Indians wouldn't mind spending a little more to retain this Sri Lankan legend. Retaining him will give a huge boost to the Mumbai Indians team and fans.

Nitish Rana

Nitish Rana

The swashbuckling batsman Nitish Rana becomes a top contender for an RTM card. Having scored 333 runs consisting of 3 fifties with a staggering strike rate of 126.13, and was one of the most bankable batsmen in the team. During an Interview with BCCI, Rana commended how he nurtured his batting skills under the guidance of batting coach Mahela Jayawardene and Sachin Tendulkar.

Rana, at the early stages of IPL 2017, was the top contender for the Orange cap. He has also performed consistently on the domestic circuit, making him a key choice for Mumbai Indians.

Mitchell McClenaghan

Mitchell McClenaghan a rare talent

McClenaghan played a vital role in Mumbai Indians' win of the 2015 season. He has been among the top 10 wicket-takers in the last two editions of the IPL. McClenaghan once opted out from his central contract New Zealand and chose to play for Mumbai Indians in the 2017 season.

His ability to scalp wickets at regular intervals earned him a spot in the team and also earned the faith of his captain and support staff. McClenaghan’s knack of picking up wickets was one of the keys to the success of Mumbai and would continue to do so.

Kieron Pollard

Kieron Pollard

Mumbai Indians, after getting their key Indian players, now would be looking to retain their pre-dominant overseas players. Kieron Pollard is the best overseas hard-hitting all-rounder who ever played for Mumbai Indians. Pollard also provides slow-medium-pace bowling and big-hitting from the middle-order. He was bought by the team in 2010 and has since been a star performer for them. Moreover, he also proves to be an excellent fielder.

Statistically speaking, Pollard has Scored 2846 runs in his 135 innings. He is the 2nd highest run scorer for Mumbai Indians just behind Rohit Sharma with a blistering average of 146.24. Pollard has also contributed to the bowling department by picking 66 wickets in his 97 Innings. MI wouldn't want to let this ace all-rounder leave the team.

Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya stunned critics after being bought by Mumbai Indians for 2 crores in 2016 IPL auctions. Soon, he showed his calibre with a breakneck inning of 86 runs from just 37 balls against Delhi Daredevils. In the 2016 season, he made a huge impact by scoring 237 runs in 12 matches with a staggering strike rate of 191.12 with 6 wickets in his pocket.

In the following season, Pandya continued his golden run by scoring 243 runs and clinching 10 wickets with an economy of 6.82. The Baroda Lad had been awarded as Player of the match in 2017 IPL finals for his 47 runs knock in the crucial stage of the game.

It won't be a surprise if Mumbai Indians retain this uncapped Indian maestro.