With the big IPL Players Auction coming up early next year, and two new franchises coming in from IPL 2022, every team in the IPL will undergo a major transformation.
Early indications are that every current IPL franchise can either retain two Indian and two overseas players or three Indian and one overseas players.
The team likely to be most affected by these coming changes is the Mumbai Indians, which has been a compact unit in the last five years.
Every member of the MI side has contributed to making Mumbai a champion team, winner of two consecutive IPL titles, in 2019 and 2020.
Other franchises will be eager to pounce on the Mumbai Indians players available at the players auction in January/February.
Clearly, Mumbai were the best team in the competition in recent years and though their sluggishness in IPL 2021 cost them a place in the play-offs, Friday's encounter against the Sunrisers Hyderabad asserted that when the Mumbai Indians got going, no T20 team in the world were a match for them.
Unless Mumbai Indians Owner Nita Ambani's team manages some abracadabra at the 2022 players auction (never ever underestimate the Ambanis!), these images from Mumbai's final three games in IPL 2021 may be the last time we are seeing THIS MI team play together.
Please click on the images for a better look.
IMAGE: That's 6' 8" Marco Jansen towering over his Mumbai Indian team-mates as they celebrate an emphatic win over the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Sheikh Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi, October 8, 2021.
MI needed to beat SRH by 171 runs to make the playoffs.
Despite Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav's fireworks, it was a mission impossible for MI. Photograph: Deepak Malik/Sportzpics for IPL
IMAGE: Mumbai Indians Captain Rohit Sharma looks wistful as the MI players take part in the end of the game ritual with Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Manish Pandey. Photograph: Rahul Gulati/Sportzpics for IPL
IMAGE: Kieron Pollard, who always seemed close to the Pandya boys, Kunal and Hardik, before the game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Will the three Ps turn out for Mumbai next season? Photograph: Rahul Gulati/Sportzpics for IPL
IMAGE: The Mumbai Indians celebrate Jimmy Neesham taking Shivam Dube's wicket during MI's penultimate game against the Rajasthan Royals at the Sharjah cricket stadium, October 5, 2021. Photograph: Pankaj Nangia/Sportzpics for IPL
IMAGE: Neesham came in for Mumbai's final three IPL 2021 games in place of Krunal Pandya, who was a disppointment.
Perhaps, if the MI think-tank -- Mahela Jayawardane, Zaheer Khan, Shane Bond and Team Mentor Sachin Tendulkar -- had been more flexible with their side selections, who knows what could have happened? Photograph: Deepak Malik/Sportzpics for IPL
IMAGE: Mumbai comprehensively defeated Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2020 final.
This season, Delhi with its dependable bowling attack looks the team to beat. Photograph: Deepak Malik/Sportzpics for IPL
IMAGE: A rare moment of celebration for the Mumbai Indians during the game against the Delhi Capitals, October 2, 2021.
Mumbai failed to replicate its 2020 form against Delhi in IPL 2021. Photograph: Pankaj Nangia/Sportzpics for IPL
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/ Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/ Rediff.com
