"I will be extremely surprised if they don't reach the final 4" - Aakash Chopra on Mumbai Indians' squad after IPL 2025 auction
Cricket-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra expects the Mumbai Indians (MI) to qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs. He noted that their players' fitness could hold the key to their prospects in the upcoming edition of the prestigious league.
MI spent ₹119.80 crore to assemble a 23-member squad, including five retentions, at the IPL 2025 auction. Trent Boult (₹12.50 crore), Deepak Chahar (₹9.25 crore), Will Jacks (₹5.25 crore), Naman Dhir (₹5.25 crore), and Allah Ghazanfar (₹4.80 crore) were their most expensive picks at the auction.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener was optimistic about the Mumbai Indians' playoff qualification chances.
"The first 12 is looking good. You can push till 13 also but the backup is not that good in the rest of their squad. Unfortunately, the backup is not good for anyone. Fitness will be a concern. The make or break will be whether the Mumbai Indians bowling unit can remain fit," he said (11:35).
"If everyone remains fit, this team should actually make it to the final four. I will be extremely surprised if they don't reach the final four. To be very honest, I was surprised last year as well. It seemed things were not right last time but now I think the MI family is together," Chopra added.
Chopra expects the Mumbai Indians to activate 'Beast Mode' in IPL 2025. He opined that the MI batters will take the opposition bowlers to the cleaners and that the opposing team batters will struggle to score runs against their new-ball attack.
"They will have to win at least 5 of the 7 matches at the Wankhede" - Aakash Chopra on the Mumbai Indians
![The Mumbai Indians have a formidable batting lineup. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/11/7f6ef-17326859012991-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra said the Mumbai Indians would need to win most of their home games.
"A lot of focus will be on making Wankhede their fortress again. Considering their team's setup, they will have to win at least five of the seven matches at the Wankhede. They can win six also. They have that kind of team," he said.
The analyst added that Hardik Pandya and company might have to include Mitchell Santner as an additional spinner in the playing XI in away games.
"The spin resources might look slightly less when they go away. You might see Mitchell Santner playing there and the batting may change a little bit. However, home will be an important aspect," Chopra observed.
Chopra opined that finishing could be a potential issue for MI, highlighting that they will have to try and get Bevon Jacobs or Robin Minz to do the job that Tim David used to do. He added that they also have a problem of plenty in the bowling department for the powerplay overs and need to find a suitable partner for Jasprit Bumrah at the death.