IPL Auction 2020: What strategy is Mumbai Indians expected to follow?

Since the third season of the Indian Premier League, the Mumbai Indians have established themselves as the heavyweights of the tournament. The 2019 champions are the most successful team to have ever played the IPL and have four trophies in their cabinet at this point. With the 2020 IPL Auction on Thursday, it is pretty exciting to explore how the Mumbai Indians could perform when the bidding wars begin. Here is what one can expect of MI this time:

ALSO READ | Inside Edge 2: Richa Chadha and Vivek Oberoi to be part of IPL auction 2020

Mumbai Indians: Pre-Auction analysis

One of the most important reasons behind the success of the Mumbai Indians is the team's solid core. The team tries to keep its main players together and they have continued to do so even before the 2020 season. Rohit Sharma remains the captain and important players like Lasith Malinga, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Quinton de Kock, and Jasprit Bumrah remain to be a part of the team. The team has also availed the services of New Zealand's ace pacer Trent Boult in a trade with the Delhi Capitals. Among the players that have been released, some big names are Ben Cutting, Evin Lewis, and Jason Behrendorff. Mumbai Indians will enter the 2020 IPL Auction with Rs. 13.05 crore in their purse and seven available slots.

ALSO READ | Ricky Ponting makes bold prediction about fast bowlers ahead of IPL Auction 2020

What to expect at the Auction?

It can be expected that the Mumbai Indians will have a quiet auction before the 2020 season because of two reasons:

a) The team is pretty much solid as it is and the management will probably not tinker with the usual playing XI.

b) Mumbai only has Rs. 13.05 crore in their purse, which is minuscule when compared to teams like Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Capitals, who can easily outbid Mumbai.

ALSO READ | IPL Auction 2020: Eoin Morgan touted to be the first player to go under the hammer

Mumbai can still be expected to make one or two hefty purchases which will help them refill the voids which have been created by the departure of Evin Lewis and Ben Cutting. While Trent Boult will fill in the slot for the foreign bowler in the team, Mumbai can invest in a foreign batsman as a backup for Quinton de Kock. This option can be Tom Banton. The Australian brute has set T20 tournaments throughout the world on fire and his batting suits the kind of pitch the Wankhede has to offer. Lynn can also help the team get explosive start at the top. To fill the foreign all-rounder department, Mumbai can bid for Glenn Maxwell and ease the pressure on Kieron Pollard. Maxwell was the 2013 Auction's biggest purchase and he was purchased by MI back then. Although he was not appropriately utilised in that season, Mumbai could try and make Maxwell a more integral part of the team in this year's edition.

ALSO READ | IPL Auction 2020: 3 teams who could have availed Rishabh Pant's services in 2016