Five-time champions Mumbai Indians boasted probably the strongest squad in the IPL in the last few years. They were the team to beat, having won three titles in the last five years.
A mere look at the depth of their squad was enough to scare the other teams, as they boasted of a world class replacement for every position.
The coming mega auction will be a challenge for the Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians as they attempt to get back a majority of their squad who will be in demand from the other nine teams.
Rohit Sharma's retention is no surprise as he is set to lead the five-time champions for the next few years while Jasprit Bumrah is also an important part of the team.
Suryakumar Yadav, who has emerged as the one of the most consistent players in the IPL in the last couple of years, is also likely to be retained while West Indian Kieron Pollard could be the likely retention among the overseas players.
Interestingly, the Pandya brothers might not find favour given their recent below-par showing and fitness records. All-rounder Hardik has been battling fitness issues in the last year or so while his brother Krunal hasn't made the same impact with the ball in the last two seasons.
The four players Mumbai Indians are likely to retain:
Rohit Sharma
Captain Ro will be the first name on Mumbai Indians's retention list. He is the most successful captain in IPL history with five titles to his name.
Rohit has been part of the Mumbai Indians for the last decade, having joined the team from Deccan Chargers in 2011, and guided the team to its first IPL title in 2013 in his first year as captain.
He has scored more than 300 runs in the last two seasons but his razor sharp captaincy in big games has caught everyone's attention.
Jasprit Bumrah
Another player, who is indispensable for MI.
Boom Boom, who started with Virat Kohli as his first scalp in the IPL, has grown by leaps and bound since his debut season in 2013 and is one of Mumbai's top match-winners.
He is a wholly and fully a Mumbai Indians player, having been discovered and groomed by the franchise. He was spotted by former India coach John Wright in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament during a talent search programme by Mumbai Indians and rose rapidly through the ranks under the tutelage of Sri Lankan pace great Lasith Malinga.
He took 27 wickets in IPL 2020 to power Mumbai to the title and this year he claimed 21 wickets despite the team failing to advance to the play-offs.
Suryakumar Yadav
SKY's splendid performances with the bat in the last two seasons saw him getting a call-up to the Indian team.
The right-hander was bought by MI during the 2018 IPL Players Auction for Rs 3.2 crore (Rs 32 million) and he has certainly lived up to his billing.
After joining MI from KKR, Suryakumar took his batting several notches higher. He scored over 500 runs in his first season for MI in 2018, including four fifties and followed it up with 400-plus runs in the next two seasons.
This season, he tallied 317 runs at a strike of 143. He is an important cog of the MI batting line-up and leaving him out is an impossible scenario for the five-time champions.
Kieron Pollard
Pollard is an important figure in the MI dressing room and has captained the team whenever Rohit Sharma has been unavailable.
The West Indian T20 skipper continues to be one of the most dangerous batsmen in T20 cricket, and is a specialist in finishing games courtesy of his ability to clear boundaries at will.
Pollard has been a one-team man, having spent the last 12 years with Mumbai Indians ever since joining the franchise in 2010.
He played an major role in MI's title triumph in 2020, scoring 268 runs at a mind-boggling strike rate of 191.
Pollard has made vital contributions with the bat lower down the order, with 200-plus runs in his last three seasons.
Overall in the IPL, he has scored 3,268 runs in 178 runs at a strike rate of nearly 150.
It is likely that Pollard will be retained ahead of Quinton de Kock and Trent Boult.
