IPL PREVIEWS: All you need to know about Mumbai Indians ahead of the start of the new Indian Premier League season in April
After months of boardroom plotting, weeks of speculation and a lavish auction that has become a phenomenon in itself, the wait is almost over.
The Indian Premier League gets under way in April, and it promises to be the most open in recent memory, such is the nature of the competition.
Here is all you need to know about Mumbai Indians, from rising stars and the ones to watch to their title chances.
The champions will be looking to pick up where they left off. A stunning final over from Mitchell Johnson against Rising Pune Supergiant set Mumbai Indians on their way to the IPL title. It was all the more remarkable given their score total of 129 for 8, one of the lowest in final history.
Last year’s triumph was Mumbai’s third in the IPL, following 2013 and 2015, and in the process became the most decorated team in the tournament.
Jasprit Bumrah took 20 wickets in last year's competition
Mahela Jayawardene, former Sri Lankan cricketer, has kept his place as head coach. Winning the IPL in his debut season for Mumbai caught the eye of the Bangladesh Premier League, where franchise club Khulna Titans appointed him as their coach on a two-year deal. For the meantime, Jayawardene’s attentions are firmly on Mumbai and he would be glad to retain the services of Rohit Sharma as captain.
The Indian top-order batsman, who excels at ODI, has been at Mumbai Indians since 2011. All three of their IPL-winning campaigns share a common denominator: Sharma was captain.
Alongside Sharma, Krunal Pandya was at the heart of Mumbai Indians’ successful campaign last season. As a middle-order batsman, he scored 47 runs in the final from 38 balls, setting the team on their way to regaining the IPL trophy.
Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard are strong allrounders; the latter in 2017 was the second leading run-scorer for Mumbai with an average of 29.61. The bowling attack is one of the team’s best assets and in seamer Jasprit Bumrah, they have a cricketer who specializes in T20. His economy rate last year was 7.41, taking 20 wickets.
Krunal Pandya claimed 10 wickets and averaged 34.71 with the bat in 2017
Ishan Kishan, a wicketkeeper-batsman who captained India at the 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. In first-class cricket against Delhi, he recorded the highest individual score by a Jharkhand player with 273 runs.
Although Kishan isn’t a novice to IPL – he featured in the past for Gujarat Lions – he caught the eye of many by becoming one of the youngest IPL debuts and the third-youngest player to hit a 50.
Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Its origins can be traced to the dispute between the Cricket Club of India (CCI) and the Bombay Cricket Association (BCA) over ticket allocation in the late 1960s.
The BCA pressed ahead and in 1974 the ground was opened. Named after the association’s president S.K Wankhede, it held its first Test in January 1975 when India took on West Indies. Mumbai Indians have played all their home games at the 30,000-seat area, after restoration work was completed in 2011.
Mustafizur has taken 78 wickets at 21 in T20 matches
Retaining the title may prove a step too far, something only once achieved – by Chennai Super Kings in 2011. Yet, Mumbai Indians are more than capable of putting in a respectable title defence and Jayawardene should fancy his chances.
On paper he has a squad with charisma, talent and know-how, but in practice, the lack of spinning options (partly inflicted by the departure of Harbhajan Singh), uncertainly over their best XI and middle order may jeopardise any aspirations he and the players have of winning a fourth IPL title.
Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Mustafizur Rahman, 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, Siddhesh Lad, Aditya Tare, Mayank Markande, Akila Dhananjaya, Anukul Roy, Mohsin Khan, Nidheesh.
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