IPL 2018: In-depth analysis of the Mumbai Indians squad for the upcoming season
Mumbai Indians have always been an exciting team in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Ever since the inception of the tournament in the year 2008, the Mumbai Indians have given opportunities to many cricketers who have gone on to represent their teams at the national level.
Mumbai Indians are the only IPL team to have won the coveted trophy thrice i.e. in the years 2013, 2015 and 2017.
While a few players from the previous seasons were retained by MI in the auction, there are also a few new players who will be looking to make an impact.
Here is the SWOT analysis for the Mumbai Indians squad:
Strengths
1. All-rounders:
The success of any team is dependent on the all-rounders in the playing 11. Mumbai Indians are blessed with not one but as many as four all-rounders who are likely to feature in the playing 11.
Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya have tasted success with the team in the previous seasons, and the trio are game-changers on their day. They are not only capable of changing the course of the innings with their aggressive batting in the death overs, but their bowling too is an asset for the Rohit Sharma-led team.
Apart from the trio, J.P. Dumminy is also likely to feature in the playing 11 and his off-spinners could be handy for the skipper in the middle overs.
2. Pace bowling department:
The trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins and Mustafizur Rahman have played enough T 20 cricket at the international level and can create havoc for any batting line-up. While Bumrah and Rahman are known to be death overs specialists, Cummins can be a perfect bowler to bowl in tandem with the duo.
Hardik Pandya will most likely be the fourth pacer in the line-up. In case of an injury to any pacer, the Mumbai Indians boast of a rich reserve in Mitchell McClenaghan, who has played with success for them in the past.
3. Experience of players with the team:
The core of the Mumbai Indians squad for the 2018 season has remained the same with players like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah being retained. The likes of Krunal Pandya and Kieron Pollard were also bought back in the auctions, while Saurabh Tiwary and Mitchell McClenaghan have played with the Mumbai Indians before.
The 2018 season will be the sixth for Rohit Sharma as captain, and having won three trophies in five seasons, he is the most successful captain in the history of IPL.
Thus, with the nucleus of the team remaining the same, there is bound to be strong bonding amongst the players, which can be a strong factor in the success of the team.