‘Mumbai Indians in big trouble if…’: Wasim Jaffer fires massive warning to Rohit and Co. ahead of IPL 2023


Australia’s Jason Behrendorff returned to Mumbai Indians (MI) for the forthcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) opted to trade the left-arm pacer in the lead-up to the retention day. Prior to the upcoming mini-auction, Mumbai Indians released several star players on the deadline day after roping in the Australian pacer for the 16th season. Though Wasim Jaffer is pleased to see Behrendorff re-joining the Mumbai Paltan, the former RCB star has issued a fresh warning to the record-time IPL winners ahead of the new season.

Behrendorff has joined the pace attack of the Mumbai Indians which features premier pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer. Talking about the auction strategy of the Mumbai-based franchise, former Indian opener backed Behrendorff to complement pace spearheads Bumrah and Archer at the Wankhede. However, Jaffer also expressed his concerns about the availability of England pacer Archer, who missed the entire edition of IPL 2022 due to an injury.

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“I hope Jofra Archer is fit and running. If he is not available then they are in big trouble. Jasprit Bumrah, Archer and Jason Behrendorff can make a good fast-bowling pair. Akash Madhwal, I know him from Uttarakhand, he is a very good prospect. He might get a look in. But they are very weak in the spin department. Hrithik Shokeen did play a few games but he is like an off-spinner and if they play at Wankhede, he’s not gonna do much. Kumar Kartikeya had a decent game time and he did okay,” Jaffer told ESPNCricinfo.

Mumbai Indians have parted ways with the likes of Kieron Pollard (INR 6 crore), Daniel Sams (INR 2.6 crore), Jaydev Unadkat (INR 1.3 crore), Mayank Markande (INR 65 lakh), Murugan Ashwin (INR 1.6 crore), Riley Meredith (INR 1 crore) and Tymal Mills (INR 1.5 crore) ahead of the IPL 2023 auction. The Mumbai Indians franchise is expected to break the bank for a frontline spinner at the mini-auction.

“But again, you know, there is not much experience there. So they have to go really big, picking the spinners in the right manner, they can’t afford to have too many foreign spinners. Because it doesn’t leave them with any space. Because Tim David is gonna play, Tristan Stubbs, Archer, Behrendorff if, at all they play, so I don’t know who is the local spinner. The Indian spinners will be available for them. So that is going to be a tricky one. But all the released players are usual suspects. I mean there are no surprises,” Jaffer added.