The Mumbai Indians spent ₹1.5 Cr at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction 2023 on Jhye Richardson, but he is unlikely to play this year due to his recurring hamstring injury. Due to the injury Richardson sustained early in the Big Bash League (BBL), he missed a significant portion of the season. Because of his injury issues, he has also missed some Marsh Cup and Sheffield Shield matches.
Australia’s ODI team, which will face India in a three-game series on March 17, 2023, included Jhye Richardson. Due to his hamstring injury, he has been dropped from the squad and is seriously considering playing in IPL 2023. Jasprit Bumrah’s absence from the Mumbai Indians team is also a significant setback.
Given Jhye Richardson’s potential absence from IPL 2023, let’s consider three potential replacements Mumbai Indians can consider.
1. Adam Milne
Adam Milne remained unsold in the December 2022 auction for the IPL 2023. Despite his asking price of 2 cr, all of the ten teams were interested in something other than the fast bowler from New Zealand. The Mumbai Indians might use Milne to replace Jhye Richardson in the upcoming IPL 2023 season.
Milne has played in 10 matches across multiple IPL teams, including the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and Mumbai Indians (MI). Injury has put a severe damper on Milne’s career, and as a result, he hasn’t succeeded in participating in many matches. He has played 145 T20 games, and that experience could prove beneficial to the Mumbai Indians.
2. Tom Curran
Tom Curran, who had a starting price of ₹ 75 lakhs at the IPL auction 2023, remained unsold. Curran is an all-around player who excels with the bat and the ball in the death overs. He is a famous name in many franchise leagues, which makes his non-selection perplexing. As a potential replacement for Jhye Richardson, Mumbai Indians could consider Tom Curran.
Curran has played in 13 IPL matches for three different teams. In those matches, he has taken a good number of wickets. He is also an effective lower-order batsman renowned for his long shots in the final overs. Currently, he is a player of the Islamabad United team, competing in the Pakistan Super League.
3. Riley Meredith
Riley Meredith can step in for Jhye Richardson as a potential replacement because he is also a fast bowler with a good pace. After 13 IPL appearances, Meredith has 12 wickets to show for it. In IPL 2021, he was purchased by the Punjab Kings and played in 5 matches; in all, he was very expensive. He played eight games for the Mumbai Indians in the 2022 Indian Premier League and took a few wickets that season. When comparing his performance to IPL 2021, it was superior.
He has recently been in fine shape and form, having taken 21 wickets in 14 matches during the Big Bash League season 2022-23. He was 6th on the BBL’s bowlers ranking with the most wickets.