For most of Saturday and Sunday, Mumbai Indians maintained a low profile, waiting for the right opportunity to invest on the right player at the mega auction in Bangalore. On the opening day, they went all out when Ishan Kishan came up for bidding. The think-tank got their act together on the second day when Jofra Archer came under the hammer well past the lunch break.
The England all-rounder is unlikely to be available for IPL 2022 as he recovers from surgery on his right elbow, but that did not stop Mumbai Indians from going all out for him. Rajasthan Royals, as well as Sunrisers Hyderabad briefly, also joined the bidding process before Archer was finally sold to Mumbai Indians at a fairly cheap Rs 8 crore.
Mumbai Indians are looking at a long-term horizon for Archer and he is expected to form a lethal combination with Jasprit Bumrah in slightly hard pitches. The English pacer has already put up a story of himself bowling in the nets, as he recovers from his injury.
“It (Mumbai Indians) has been a franchise that was really close to my heart and I always wanted to play for them as long as I could have remembered watching IPL cricket,” Archer said in a message. “I’m so glad that I’ve finally got the opportunity to represent such an amazing franchise. I’m also going to get the chance to play with some of the biggest stars in the world so I’m really looking forward to starting a new chapter.”
It was clear that Mumbai Indians had waited for Jofra and had hatched their plans keeping his availability in mind.
“Jofra is a player Mahela (Jayawardene, the head coach) gave his first professional debut to. So happy to have gotten them together,” Akash Ambani, the Mumbai owner, said.
“Although it is going to be next year, but very happy to have a lethal combination. Tymal (Mills, who was also bought by the franchise) has been a lethal death bowler. Tim David is going to partner (Kieron) Pollard at No. 6.”
Mumbai Indians, who were left with the highest purse heading into the accelerated round of bidding, got the services of Singapore-born all-rounder Tim David, who recently hit a 29-ball 71 in the Pakistan Super League and boasts a T20 strike-rate of 159.39.
