The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 auctions are set to take place on Friday (December 23) with big teams in the pool to buy some of the biggest names in the world of cricket. Five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) are not sitting back in the auctions as they get ready for the spending spree to buy certain targets on their shopping list. The Mumbai-based franchise will be seeking to get an ideal replacement for Kieron Pollard who hung his boots after last season.
Who could MI target and is this Aussie the answer to it?
Before he retired from the IPL, Pollard served as one of the loyal stars for the Mumbai Indians having played for 13 consecutive seasons with the franchise. Pollard before his retirement held the record for the second-longest serving player for a single franchise after Virat Kohli for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). But MI are now seeking a replacement for him as they try to return to form to win the IPL for the sixth time.
While Tim David is already available in the team selection, the franchise could yet go for a big proven name. And one of those names is David’s now international teammate, Cameron Green who has excelled in recent months and is one of the hottest priorities around the corner. Green was seen in excellent form during Australia’s tour of India back in September and courtesy of that he earned a place in the Australian side when Josh Inglis was ruled out of the T20 World Cup back in October.
Green’s performance in numbers
In just eight T20Is for the national side, Green has scored 139 runs with a best of 61 against India in Mohali. In was seen in excellent form during the tour and enjoyed batting against India in the Indian conditions. Green can be lethal with the ball as well and has scalped five wickets for the side with his pace bowling.
Accommodating international stars in the Playing XI could be a big worry for the MI franchise but given an opportunity to sign a player of Green’s quality, they could certainly go for him. Big names like Dewald Brevis, Jofra Archer are certain to play this season, while Green’s inclusion could be a good headache to have for the franchise.
The Aussie star is available for a base price of Rs 2 crores and is expected to go big as franchisees will be poised for his signature. The IPL auctions are set to take place on Friday (December 23) in Kochi.
