There were lots of things that happened with Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2024 season, where they lost badly and finished tenth. To address these issues, they made some crucial changes in the recently held IPL 2025 mega auction, where the five-time champions MI went for some good buys.
Initially, they retained their top five core players, which included big names like Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya. When they came to the auction, they bought 18 impressive players, many of whom were youngsters, as MI is known for shaping up young talent. Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya are the best examples of this.
However, certain buys stood out as their best picks on paper. They managed to get good players, although some came at reasonably high prices. Still, the five-time champions managed to pull it off. Check out MI’s three best buys and see what we can expect from them.
Deepak Chahar
With 77 wickets to his name, Deepak Chahar is undoubtedly a valuable addition to the team. Now a colleague of Jasprit Bumrah, both players will aim to trouble the batters in the IPL. Since 2018, Chahar has been a crucial player for Chennai Super Kings, who consistently backed him. However, his recent friendship with injuries kept him out of the IPL and even international cricket.
Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, CSK decided to release him but surprisingly bid for him during the auction, showing what an impressive bowler he is. Known for his performances in the early overs with his swinging deliveries, Chahar has often dismantled batters in the powerplay. Now, MI, who acquired him for INR 9.25 crore, will hope he can replicate those performances for them as well.
Ryan Rickelton
Although it’s wrong to call Ryan Rickelton a perfect replacement for Ishan Kishan, he is certainly going to address the who after Ishan Kishan question. The wicketkeeper-batter from South Africa will look to don the MI colors. If we see his connection with the MI management, he already plays for MI Cape Town in the SA20. However, the IPL is undoubtedly going to be a much bigger stage for him.
MI was the sole bidder for the left-hander, securing him at the perfect price of INR 1 crore on Day 2 of the IPL auction. Since it’s a reasonable rate, we can say he is one of the best picks for them. Talking about Rickelton, he has played in 7 Tests, 5 ODIs, and 12 T20Is for South Africa.
Will Jacks
England power-hitter Will Jacks, who previously played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, was sold to the Mumbai Indians for Rs 5.25 crore. 26-year-old made his IPL debut in the 2024 season, where he played eight games and even scored a brilliant century against the Gujarat Titans. However, surprisingly, RCB released him ahead of the 2025 auction.
And then entering the auction at a base price of Rs 2 crore, the five-time IPL winners outbid Punjab Kings to secure his services. In a surprising turn of events, RCB chose not to use their RTM card for their former batter. At the end of the bidding, MI owner Akash Ambani was seen shaking hands with the RCB management, acknowledging their decision not to use the RTM card. This gesture clearly showed how much MI needed Jacks as a solid addition to their middle order.
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