Mumbai Indians: Four potential back-ups for Jofra Archer and Jasprit Bumrah ahead of the IPL auction

Mumbai Indians would be vying for a swift return to their elite standards after last season's blues. They released 13 players ahead of the auction.

And on the auction table on December 23, the primary focus for the Paltans will be to augment their squad by some smart additions. They have INR 20.55 crore in their kitty.

Mumbai Indians do have a decent core with the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma in their ranks. They also have Jofra Archer on their side.

Mumbai Indians' pace battery in IPL 2023

Jofra Archer and Jasprit Bumrah will be the spearheads for them with the ball, but both players have had injury issues in the recent past and the franchise may well be aiming for a certain back-up for their talismans. Perhaps that was the reason they traded in Jason Behrendorff ahead of the auction from Royal Challengers Bangalore. Jofra Archer was signed by Mumbai in 2022 but he missed the entirety of last season with an injury.

But today we shall take a look at four potential back-ups for Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer.

Vidwath Kaverappa (India)

Vidwath Kaverappa can be a backup option for Mumbai Indians. The Karnataka bowler has shown his bowling prowess, picking up 18 wickets in the Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Kaverappa, 23, can be a perfect addition to the Mumbai outfit as he is young and has the potential to thrive. The youngster will be attracting bids after his recent performances, and we may the Mumbai franchise raise their paddle for the player.

Chris Jordan (England)

Mumbai can also go for the proven customer Chris Jordan. Jordan's record in T20 cricket is quite sublime. The England pacer has played 84 T20I matches, bagging 95 wickets with an economy of 8. The Englishman also has a decent death bowling record, which can be a real boost for Mumbai in case of Bumrah's absence.

Jordan has prior experience playing in the IPL, having played for the likes of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings already. He has played 28 times in the IPL, with 27 wickets to his name.

Shivam Mavi (India)

Shivam Mavi drew a monumental sum of INR 7.25 crore in the IPL auction last time as KKR splashed big for him. But the UP pacer has found himself seeking for pastures new ahead of this auction. But his form of late has been decent. Mavi picked up 14 wickets in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and backed that up with 8 wickets in the first match of the Ranji Trophy. His fiery pace is an exciting commodity and Rohit Sharma and company may well be interested to give Mavi his new abode. The youngster has loads of potential and we saw that in patches during his KKR days, as he picked up 30 wickets in 32 matches for the Knights.

Dushmantha Chameera (Sri Lanka)

Dushmantha Chameera can be a potential backup for Jofra Archer. The 30-year-old can extract decent bounce off the surface, which will be handy in the Wankhede wicket. His vast experience at the international level is also a bonus for the Paltans. He was part of the Lucknow Super Giants squad last year and picked up 9 wickets in his 12 appearances.