IPL 2019 | Zaheer Khan appointed Mumbai Indians' Director of Cricket Operations

As the IPL teams gear up for the 2019 auction which is being held in Jaipur on Wednesday, Mumbai Indians took to their official site to announce the appointment of former player, Zaheer Khan, as Director of Cricket Operations (DCO) ahead of the start of the upcoming season.

The experienced pacer will be part of the Mumbai Indians think-tank and will join team owners - Mrs. Nita Ambani and Akash Ambani at the auction in Jaipur today. Zaheer, who is regarded as one of the pioneers of the knuckle-ball was well-renowned for his quick thinking abilities on the pitch. The former RCB pacer will bring close to two decades of his cricketing experience in the new managerial role offered to him by Mumbai Indians. Khan was part of the Mumbai Indians squad in IPL seasons 2009, 2010 and 2014 and has 29 wickets to his name from 30 outings Nita Ambani’s team.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai-based franchise are preparing for the upcoming auction and will look to bolster their squad as they aim to lift the trophy for the fourth time in the coming season. Under the leadership of local boy Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians have retained 18 players, as they continue nurturing young talent. The likes of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah form the core of Mumbai Indians, the three-time champions have also opted to hold onto young stars like Mayank Markande, Rahul Chahar, Anukul Roy, Ishan Kishan, Aditya Tare and Suryakumar Yadav.

Current Player List: Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Krunal Pandya, Ishan Kishan (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Mayank Markande, Rahul Chahar, Anukul Roy, Siddhesh Lad, Aditya Tare, Quinton de Kock, Kieron Pollard, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Evin Lewis, Adam Milne, Jason Behrendorff.