Mumbai Indians, the most successful team in the history of the tournament, will be determined to overcome the disappointment of IPL 2021 and win the title for the sixth time in IPL 2022.
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Mumbai Indians are the most successful franchise in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians have scaled heights that few franchises in the world have achieved. When Rohit Sharma took over as the captain of the Mumbai Indians team, they were the perennial underachievers. With Sachin Tendulkar at their disposal, Mumbai Indians managed to get to the final of IPL 2010 but they lost to Chennai Super Kings.
But, with the arrival of Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians turned the corner. They won the 2011 and 2013 Champions League T20. It was in 2013 that Mumbai Indians started becoming one of the best teams in the IPL. After winning in 2013, Mumbai Indians won in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. The classic trend is that Mumbai Indians won three out of the five IPL finals by beating MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings.
Mumbai Indians have a positive head-to-head ratio against all teams. Apart from Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians have retained a core consisting of Jasprit Bumrah, one of the best bowlers in the world. Suryakumar Yadav is a solid middle-order while Kieron Pollard is one of the best finishers in the history of T20s. After a disappointing finish in IPL 2021, Mumbai Indians will be aiming to get their record back on track with a solid show in the IPL 2022.
Read More: Dewald Brevis Goes to Mumbai Indians for Rs 3 Crore
Prior to the IPL 2022 Mega Auction, Mumbai Indians retained four players. Rohit Sharma was paid Rs 17 crore to be included in the Mumbai Indians team. Apart from Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Kieron Pollard were retained by the five-time champions.
In the IPL 2022 Mega Auction, Mumbai Indians broke the bank to get Ishan Kishan in the side. Ishan Kishan was bought for a record Rs 15.25 crore, which was the highest for a player in the IPL Mega Auction. Apart from Ishan Kishan, Mumbai Indians made some magnificent buys. Dewald Brevis, one of the stars in the 2022 ICC Under-19 World Cup, was bought for a good sum.
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But, it is the death bowling that will be magnificent for Mumbai Indians. Having acquired Jofra Archer for Rs 8 crore, his combination with Bumrah will be lethal. Apart from Archer and Bumrah, Mumbai Indians also have Daniel Sams, Riley Meredith, and Tymal Mills. They also have the experience of Jaydev Unadkat to fall back on while there are legspinners like Mayank Markande and Murugan Ashwin.
Retained Players: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Kieron Pollard
Players Bought in Auction: Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Dewald Brevis, Anmolpreet Singh, Rahul Buddhi, Aryan Juyal (wk), Tilak Varma, Ramandeep Singh, Sanjay Yadav, Daniel Sams, Tim David, Hrithik Shokeen, Fabian Allen, Basil Thampi, Jaydev Unadkat, Murugan Ashwin, Mayank Markande, Tymal Mills, Riley Meredith, Jofra Archer, Arjun Tendulkar, Mohammad Arshad Khan
In the batting and bowling front, Mumbai Indians have acquired some key players in IPL 2022. Having let go of both the Pandya brothers, they would want some depth in the batting. Apart from Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan, the likes of Tim David, Dewald Brevis and Tilak Varma might be the key along with Pollard.
Read More: Ishan Kishan Goes to Mumbai Indians for Record Rs 15.25 Crore
But, it is in the bowling that Mumbai Indians have some immense star power. The potential combination of Bumrah and Archer might be a nightmare for batters. If Archer does not step up, then the likes of Sams and Mills are also deadly bowlers in the death. In the case of Sams, he is a handy lower-order batsman as well. Jaydev Unadkat will want to repeat his 2017 heroics and put on a good show as the left-arm replacement for Trent Boult.
The batting and bowling are settled on all fronts. Rohit, Ishan, Suryakumar, Brevis, and Pollard make up a deadly batting order. When it comes to bowling, they will be shored up by Jasprit Bumrah. If Archer is fit and he plays, then this can be the most lethal death-overs combination in the history of the T20s. If not Archer, there is depth in the form of Mills and Sams. Tilak Verma, who had a strike rate of 148 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali, might be the X-factor for the Mumbai Indians team.
The lack of a proper spinner. With Rahul Chahar also being left out, Mumbai Indians might struggle in the spin department. They have Markande and Murugan Ashwin in the side but they lack the experience factor. Fabian Allen might not get a chance due to the overseas composition factor. Thus, Mumbai Indians do not have a proper spin back up.
The over-reliance on Bumrah might cost them in the long run. With Archer expected to be reportedly fit only in May, the death bowling might lack support. Tymal Mills and Daniel Sams are capable but they may not be able to contain batsmen. But, it gives both the opportunity to excel in Archer’s absence. The lack of a proper spinner might hurt Mumbai Indians in the middle overs. If the middle order fails like how it did in 2021, then Mumbai Indians might struggle. Suryakumar and Ishan both struggled in the 2021 edition and it was their low scores that hurt them unlike 2020.
Rohit Sharma, Aditya Tare, Anmolpreet Singh, Anukul Roy, Dhawal Kulkarni, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Quinton de Kock, Rahul Chahar, Suryakumar Yadav, Trent Boult, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Mohsin Khan, Piyush Chawla, James Neesham, Marco Jansen, Yudhvir Charak, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Milne, Arjun Tendulkar
Mumbai Indians started the tournament poorly with a loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore by two wickets. In that match, Harshal Patel took five wickets. After bouncing back with a win against Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians seemed to have established some momentum. But, two losses to Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals saw their progress jolted. After chasing down a record 219 against Chennai Super Kings, the tournament was suspended due to the coronavirus.
After resuming in the UAE, Mumbai Indians lost three consecutive games. When they lost to Delhi Capitals, their playoff chances evaporated. Despite winning the last two games, Mumbai Indians ended up in fifth position with seven wins out of 14.
