Mumbai Indians are the defending champions of the IPL. (Source: BCCI)
When it comes to playing their cards right and not shying away from going for big names, Mumbai Indians are the only team which comes to mind. Retaining Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah and then getting Kieron Pollard and Krunal Pandya with Right to Match cards at the IPL 2018 Auction were brilliant moves by the giants. After doing their bit in retaining the core set, Mumbai went after specialists and ensured to maintain the balance of the squad. From ferocious fast bowlers to aggressive batsmen to useful all-rounders, Mumbai have what it takes to go all the way in the competition.
Strength: Mumbai Indians’ strength lies in the number of all-rounders that they have in the squad. Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya. The trio has the ability to hit the big ones and are very handy with the ball too. Pollard and Hardik, in particular, have played some blistering knocks that have led their side to wins from tricky situations. Another strong department is their bowling, especially the left-arm seamers. Mustafizur Rahman, Jason Behrendroff and Pradeep Sangwan would come handy for the defending champions. Apart from them, Australia’s Pat Cummins is another fast bowler who can rip apart the opposition and trouble the batsmen.
Not to forget, Mumbai Indians comprise of one of the most dangerous batting orders in IPL. Rohit Sharma is one of the finest limited overs players while Surya Kumar Yadav, JP Duminy, Saurabh Tiwary, Siddhesh Lad can turn the match on its head on their day. Mumbai did make a surprising call when they got former U-19 captain Ishan Kishan for a sum of Rs 6.2 crore. Ishan had a decent last IPL stint when he was a Gujarat Lions’ player but he would need to step with some extraordinary performances to justify the amount.
Smart buy: MI made a brilliant move while bidding for JP Duminy. Duminy was bought for a Rs 1 crore. The South African brings stability with the bat and is a useful customer with the ball too.
Limitations: The only aspect that Mumbai Indians need to focus is on making a perfect opening combination. New recruit Ishan Kishan has the experience of opening the batting but it would be a headache for the team management to provide him with a partner until and unless Rohit Sharma decides to promote himself up the order.
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Mustafizur Rehman, Pat Cummins, Suryakumar Yadav, Krunal Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Rahul Chahar, Evin Lewis, Saurabh Tiwary, Ben Cutting, Pradeep Sangwan, JP Duminy, Jason Behrendoff, Tajinder Singh Dhillon, Sharad Lumba, Siddesh Lad, Tare, Mayank Markande, Akila Dhananjaya, Anukul Roy, Mohsin Khan, Nidheesh