England fast bowler Jofra Archer was signed by Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega-auction in Bangalore on February 13. He was part of the accelerated auction round in which franchises had given a list of players they are interested in.
Even though Archer will not be available for the IPL 2022 season, he was picked by the five-time IPL champions for a hefty sum of INR 8 Crore.
After the auction, Mumbai Indians owner Nita Ambani said they “always have a short-term goal and a long-term vision.”
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“Mumbai Indians always have a short-term goal and a long-term vision. Some of the players that we buy are also meant for long-term vision,” Nita said.
“I have to assure all our fans that we do our best at the auction and keeping the players in mind, we hope we can continue to make our fans smile by playing well for all of us,” she added.
Archer, who continues his recovery from elbow surgery, was allowed to enter the auction with a view to compete in 2023 and 2024.
MI broke the bank to rope in the most expensive player (INR 15.25 Crore) of this year's auction in Ishan Kishan while the franchise also fetched Singapore’s Tim David for a staggering INR 8.25 Crore, considering his “finishing” prowess.
Reflecting on this year’s mega-auction, Nita said: “I am excited for the new season but I must tell you the big auctions are really very difficult. It is so difficult to let go of our players who have been a part of our family for so many years. We miss them all.”
“Whether it’s a Hardik or a Krunal or a Quinton or a Boult. We try our best to get them back but the auction dynamics are so difficult to predict.”
“But we are happy with what we have got and all that I can say is that Mumbai Indians will continue to make the best efforts and try our best to entertain our fans in the best way possible.”
Nita Ambani is the owner of the most successful Indian Premier League franchise.
“I took over this team 14 years ago and to see it now, really, I am overwhelmed. Mumbai Indians is very dear to me. I am very passionate about it.
“With all humility, I must say that our hearts swell up with pride to see the stature that Mumbai Indians has reached whether on-field or off-field.
“The credit for all of this goes to the ‘One Family’ of Mumbai Indians – our players, support staff, our fans, everybody on the ground – the groundsmen who do their best – that is the core of Mumbai Indians.”
She is also elated to see MI skipper Rohit Sharma now leading the Indian team in the limited-overs formats.
“Rohit Sharma, we bought him after season three and it is so wonderful to see him grow into the role of a captain and now, captain of Team India. It just means so much for me and all of Mumbai Indians to see them on a global stage like this.
“Hopefully, some of our young Indian boys in the years to come will represent India and make us all proud again.”
(With PTI inputs)
