Australian fast bowler Jason Behrendorff has officially been traded back to the Mumbai Indians by the Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the 2023 IPL season.
The Canberra-born quick, who has at various times throughout his career been amongst the best bowlers in the shortest form of the game, has played 105 T20s.
In those matches, he averages 23.12 with the ball and goes for just 7.41 runs per over, taking 117 wickets.
His new ball bowling in particular has been a strong point in various editions of the Big Bash League, where he has been a key part of the all-conquering Perth Scorchers outfit.
Behrendorff has only played three seasons of the IPL previously, representing Mumbai during 2018, before playing with the Chennai Super Kings in 2021 and the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2022.
He has also played for Sussex and Middlesex in England in what have been his only other two domestic team stints.
The move from Bangalore to Mumbai for the 2023 campaign for the veteran, who has nine T20 internationals to his name, comes after he was picked up in last year's mega auction at the base price of 75 lakh (approximately $139,000 Australian Dollars).
It will also take Behrendorff off the market ahead of this year's auction, which is set to be held in mid-December.
During his 2018 campaign with the Mumbai Indians, Behrendorff picked up five wickets in as many games, but will join a crowded bowling attack at the club, with Jasprit Bumrah, Jofra Archer and Aussie Riley Meredith, although Englishman Tymal Mills is among three players the club have released in their final retention list, submitted to the BCCI yesterday.
Kieron Pollard and Fabian Allen were the other two players released, with the West Indian duo to now be available in the 2023 auction.
