IPL 2023: 5 players who were underutilized by Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians’ journey in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 concluded in the Qualifier 2 held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. In the big match against defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT), Mumbai struggled in all departments of the game and got hammered by 62 runs. However, after the end of their campaign, MI fans will recall how their key players Suryakumar Yadav and Cameron Green came back stronger after failing at the beginning of the tournament.
In the initial phase of the competition, both the players struggled to produce quality performances. However, the support of the MI team management bolstered their confidence to help them hit back at their critics. MI’s decision to back both the players was a masterstroke. However, along with this great decision, the management also did some blunders by not utilising some of their quality players prudently.
Here are the five players who were underutilised by Mumbai Indians in IPL 2023:
5. Vishnu Vinod
Vishnu Vinod got only three games this season but the 29-year-old showcased his batting potential against a quality GT bowling unit in the 57th match. In the absence of Tilak Varma, the right-handed batter took advantage of the opportunity and smashed 30 runs off only 20 deliveries.
His performance plummeted in the next two outings, but his batting display against Titans indicated that he is a reliable middle-order batter and should have got more games from his team.
Noting his experience and capability, Mumbai chould have added him to the squad earlier in the tournament. Vinod has amassed 1228 runs at a strike rate of 138.13 with seven fifties in 49 innings in T20 cricket and his numbers speak a lot about his potential in the shortest format.
4. Riley Meredith
Riley Meredith was not upto the mark in the competition for MI, picking up only seven wickets in five matches at an economy of 10.53. In Mumbai’s last-ball win over Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the Aussie looked positive with the ball, claiming 2/34 in 3.4 overs.
After the DC game, he played well against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 25th match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, picking 2/33. However, later his performance slumped as he delivered expensive spells for his team. Considering his dismal performances, MI didn’t include him in their playing XI again.
After Jofra Archer’s exit from the competition due to an injury, MI got Chris Jordan to bolster their bowling attack. However, Mumbai could have given a chance to Meredith as Jordan’s IPL records are not impressive, and this time too, the replacement bowler failed to be impactful.
3. Tristan Stubbs
Tristan Stubbs is known for his power-hitting in T20 cricket. Back in July 2022, he showcased his aggressive batting style against England in Bristol in his sensational knock of 72 off just 28. Since 2022, he is a part of Mumbai Indians in IPL but has not got a lot of chances to display his batting skills.
This season, he played two games and scored 25 runs at a strike rate of 80.54. In his first outing at the Wankhede Stadium, he came to bat at number eight but failed to grab the opportunity as he scored five off 10. MI did not include him in the playing XI for the next seven matches.
After warming benches for a long time, Stubbs broke into the team against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk. This time too, he could not produce an effective knock and went back to the pavilion after scoring only 20 off 21. However, Stubbs could have come out as a match-winner for MI had he played regularly in the competition.
2. Dewald Brevis
Dewald Brevis was seen warming benches in 2023 as MI did not provide any matches to the 20-year-old. Noting his potential and performance for their SA20 team MI Cape Town, the team management must have played Brevis as he has the ability to take even quality bowling units to the cleaners.
Representing MI Cape Town in 10 matches in SA20 2023, the youngster scored 235 runs in 10 games, with a best score of unbeaten 70 against Paarl Royals. Earlier, in October 2022, he smashed 162 runs for Titans against Knights in the CSA T20 League to become the South Africa player with the highest individual score in T20 format.
Keeping him away from MI's playing XI in the entire season was a surprise as the talented batter has looked extraordinary with his bat in the one year, and he could have added more strength to MI’s batting line-up along with Suryakumar Yadav, Cameron Green, and Tim David.
1. Akash Madhwal
In the Eliminator match, Akash Madhwal was too hot to handle for Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) batters as the pacer showcased his mettle with the ball, grabbing a fifer in 3.3 overs. During his spell, he got Ayush Badoni and Nicholas Pooran on conseucitve balls and broke the back of the Super Giants’ batting line-up.
Playing just eight games in the tournament, the 29-year-old ended with 14 wickets at an economy of 8.59. With these numbers, he became the joint second-highest wicket-taker for MI, with Jason Behrendorff, who played 12 games and hunted the equal number of batters as Madhwal but at a hefty economy of 9.21.
Madhwal made his IPL debut against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mohali after getting benched for more than a month in the competition. However, it could be said that the MI team management should have played him in the first leg of the tournament.
from Cricket Appeal: The Best and Funny Appeals in Cricket History – HOWZAT!!! | CricTracker.com https://ift.tt/1ev6KAq
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