The Mumbai Indians had quite a disappointing season last year when they failed to qualify for the playoffs. This happened after some of their big names failed to perform and this year they came into the auction with one thing in mind: to get some backup for the big guns. They went on to buy 6 players to strengthen their bench and make sure that the happenings of last season don’t get repeated.
Let us have a look on their final squad for this season.
Openers:
The top order of Mumbai boasts the likes of Quinton de Kock, Evin Lewis and Rohit Sharma. Although these players had a quiet outing last season but cannot deny the potential they have. Skipper Rohit Sharma has been in red hot form for the national team, finishing 2018 as the second highest run-getter for India in T20s and Evin Lewis has the highest strike rate for any batsman in T20s in the last 2 years. These numbers prove how dangerous these batsmen are and it is only a matter of time before they fire for the franchise. The Proteas keeper batsman, de Kock also has a brilliant record in the subcontinent and he would be eager to fire on all cylinders.
Middle Order:
The middle order of the Indians was the only positive aspect the franchise had last season and they will be expecting such a performance this season too. Their middle order comprises of young talents like Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan who impressed everyone with their batting last season. They also have the Pandya brothers, Hardik and Krunal, and Ben Cutting who have always delivered when the team was in distress. They are capable of scoring quickfire runs down the order and so are the veterans Yuvraj Singh and Kieron Pollard who are famous
for their hitting prowess.
Bowlers:
Spinners have never been a key aspect of the Mumbai squad and this season is no different. They have the services of Mayank Markande, Rahul Chahar, Anukul Roy and Jayant Yadav. Although Mayank Markande started the previous season with a flurry of wickets but seemed to fade away as the season went on. The Indians would surely expect him to perform better this season and be consistent with his performances. Krunal Pandya will be their main spinner who has been economical and also has the ability to take wickets when the team is in dire need.
Yuvraj Singh too can chip in some overs but it doesn’t seem like he will feature in the franchise first-choice starting XI.
Their pace battery which has been their strength from season 1 of the competition led to their downfall last season. Although they have many big names in their lineup they failed to deliver except Jasprit Bumrah. He has been exceptional since his debut with the national team and will be the one spearheading the Mumbai pace attack. But it is the others who have been
disappointing. While Mitchell McClenaghan has been going for runs, Adam Milne and Jason Behrendorff have never been used. In this case, the new inclusions Barinder Sran and the veteran Lasith Malinga might provide some assurance to the skipper.
While the batting looks really strong with all the budding players, it is the bowling that would be the prime concern for the team management. The inclusion of the veterans Yuvraj, Malinga and Pollard might be an unnecessary risk. All of these players are nowhere close to their best and other talented players could have been included in the squad. Only time will say how they will perform this season while the fans would be eager to see these veterans giving their best for the
Team.
Players signed:
Lasith Malinga - 2 crores
Anmolpreet Singh - 80 lakhs
Barinder Sran - 3.40 crore
Pankaj Jaiswal - 20 lakhs
Rasikh Dar - 20 lakhs
Yuvraj Singh - 1 crore.
Players Retained:
Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Krunal Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Mayank Markande, Yuvraj Singh, Rahul Chahar, Anukul Roy, Siddhesh Lad, Aditya Tare, Kieron Pollard, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne, Jason Behrendorff, Evin Lewis and Quinton de Kock.
