As the 2023 Indian Premier League edition draws near, cricket fans are eagerly awaiting the much-awaited festival of cricket. The tournament will feature Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings, with the former having won the title in their inaugural edition.
The Mumbai Indians are the strongest team in the league with five IPL titles to their name. With Rohit Sharma as captain and Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah in the squad, the team was considered to be the best in any league. However, with Pollard and Bumrah out, the team may have to work harder to achieve success in the upcoming edition.
In the 2022 IPL, Mumbai Indians had a disappointing season with just four wins in 14 matches. The team ended the season at the bottom of the table. Ishan Kishan was the top scorer for Mumbai Indians with 418 runs in 14 matches. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah picked up 15 wickets in 14 matches, which was considered ordinary for a top-class bowler. All-rounder Kieron Pollard and captain Rohit Sharma had an unimpressive season with the bat.
Despite being a top-notch side, Mumbai Indians had their lowest performance during the last season. However, the franchise knows how to make a strong comeback in big tournaments. With the absence of Pollard, Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya, it’s time for new players to step up and grab the team’s sixth title.
In the IPL auction for the 2023 edition, the Mumbai Indians management went for top Australian players, including Cameron Green and Jhye Richardson. The team management purchased Green for Rs. 17.5 crores, while Richardson was bought for Rs. 1.5 crores. Tim David has also been a regular part of the Mumbai Indians’ playing XI. If Green and Richardson make it to the final XI, then all three Australians will play alongside Archer, who will be the fourth overseas player in the squad.
Apart from overseas players, Piyush Chawla, Duan Jansen, Nehal Wadhera, Raghav Goyal, Shams Mulani, and Vishnu Vinod were some of the other players bought by Mumbai Indians.
The predicted starting XI for Mumbai Indians is Cameron Green, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma (C), Tilak Verma, Tim David, Hrithik Shokeen, Piyush Chawla, Jhye Richardson, Jofra Archer, and Arjun Tendulkar.
Jofra Archer will be the biggest strength of the squad in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. On the batting front, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav will be key players for the team. The team will need Rohit Sharma’s captaincy to succeed. Power-hitting from Kieron Pollard will be missed, and Mumbai Indians will need someone to take up the role of a finisher regularly. Tim David could be the ideal candidate for this role, while Dewald Brewis could also be an excellent choice.
Mumbai Indians have a bunch of foreign bowlers in the squad, but the absence of Jasprit Bumrah is a significant setback. The team needs an Indian pacer in the squad, and currently, Arjun Tendulkar looks like the perfect fit in the XI. He, along with Archer and Richardson, can help Mumbai restrict the opposition with their pace. However, if that strategy fails, Mumbai Indians would need an Indian fast bowler
