The five-time Indian Premier League champions, Mumbai Indians, are now looking to prove their credibility after a few poor seasons. Since their last championship win in 2020, MI has finished 5th in 2021, last in 2022, the playoff stage in 2023, and last in 2024. Captain Hardik Pandya, who had a rough time leading the side in IPL 2024, must spearhead the charge if this team is to gain momentum.
The talk leading up to the season was that MI would be missing Jasprit Bumrah at least for the first few matches due to injury. The team would want to go through well without him, and once he returns, their confidence augurs well.
Three reasons why MI can lift IPL 2025:
A Blazing Batting Lineup
MI is blessed with dazzling batting strength and some solid firepower. With a batting lineup featuring Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar, and apparently Pandya, they are a force to reckon with. The presence of Robin Minz and Naman Dhir will lend more strength to MI’s batting order. Minz boasts a strike rate of over 180 in T20s, while Dhir smashed 140 runs for MI last season with a strike rate of over 177.
Multi-surface Bowling Attack
MI’s bowling is suited to different surfaces; it is flexible. Without Jasprit Bumrah for a few games, MI can accommodate him and give Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, and Trent Boult the entire run of their own. On returning, Bumrah could use Boult and Santner as his foreign bowlers, while Jacks and Ryan Rickelton slot in as batters. The team could also use Mujeeb ur Rahman as an Impact Player.
All-round Abilities of Pandya
Hardik Pandya‘s all-round capabilities will be instrumental for MI to achieve success. As a bowler, in the last 4 overs he has an average of 19.21 with the taking of 19 scalps. His contribution with the ball is vital, and he can be an option for MI at the death. Pandya’s overall impact with the ball and his influence as the third or fourth pacer in the team will help MI.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
