IPL 2019: 5 Players Mumbai Indians Will be Targeting

The management, think tank, and scouts of IPL teams work year round, constantly looking for new talent and potential additions that they can make to their squads. Mumbai Indians, one of the most successful and iconic franchises in IPL history, is especially known for this.

This slideshow looks at four players that Mumbai Indians will consider in light of their performance in the previous edition of the IPL and the requirements of their squad.

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#4 Thisara Perera

Overseas all-rounders were a major concern for the Mumbai Indians in the previous edition of the IPL. Both the batting all-rounder's slot (fulfilled by Kieron Pollard/JP Duminy) and bowling all-rounder's slot (fulfilled by Ben Cutting) were not cemented by any player, and that contributed to the Mumbai Indians' relatively disappointing campaign.

An experienced campaigner, Thisara Perera could be a potential option that the Mumbai Indians are looking at, especially at the right price. Considering MI's plethora of all-rounders, Perera will not be expected to deliver four overs, a factor that significantly increases his utility as a player. Further, his explosive batting, especially on subcontinent pitches, and familiarity with the IPL - having played for six franchises (including the Mumbai Indians) - make him even more desirable.

While Thisara Perera will almost certainly not be able to be a superstar in the league, he does provide a reliable option, and the Mumbai Indians will be considering him as a potential alternative to their current overseas all-rounders.

#3 Joe Root

Despite the fact that the status of the availability of English players at next year's IPL remains unclear, provided Joe Root is available, Mumbai Indians will be looking at him. A major reason for their sub-par performance in the most recently concluded edition of the IPL was their middle-order not firing, and Joe Root could certainly be a valuable addition in order to curb that problem.

Not only is he extremely skilled at rotating the strike and playing out the middle overs well, Joe Root is also adept against spin, a factor which makes him far more desirable than many other overseas batsmen. Further, the presence of Joe Root in the middle order as an anchor may allow Rohit Sharma to move back up the order, the position where he certainly plays his best.

#2 Jason Holder

Another potential all-rounder that the Mumbai Indians may be looking at, Jason Holder has quietly been having somewhat of a breakout year. In the bowling department, in 2018, Jason Holder has taken 28 wickets in 5 Test matches and 19 wickets in 10 ODIs. While he has not played any international T20s in the year, he participated in the Caribbean Premier League this year, captaining the Barbados Tridents.

His tournament as bowler was sub-par; however, he showed immense growth and took strides as a batsman, scoring a half-century and contributing with a handful of crucial cameos lower down the order. While Holder certainly is not a T20 superstar yet, his growth this year indicates that he may be a valuable utility player in next year's IPL, especially with many overseas players not expected to participate in the tournament due to the ICC Cricket World Cup.

#1 Oshane Thomas

While this is certainly a left-field shout, it is not completely implausible. Oshane Thomas, West Indies' rising star who impressed one and all with his death bowling in the CPL, might just be on the Mumbai Indians' radar as Mustafizur Rahman has been prohibited from participating in overseas T20 leagues for two years.

Further, with Pat Cummins expected not to play next year's IPL, due to the World Cup later in the year, and workload management by Cricket Australia, Mumbai Indians' foreign pace reserves will be severely depleted, and they will need to find a partner for Jasprit Bumrah at the death.

In the CPL, he took eighteen wickets in ten matches, at a respectable economy rate of 8.36. Whether he ends up getting picked up or not remains to be seen; however, the scouts at Mumbai Indians will certainly be keeping a watchful eye on him.