With the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) all set to get under way in the UAE, the eight franchises have been busy with their preparations for the marquee T20 event.
Nearly two months of non-stop cricketing action will entertain fans around the globe as the very best from India and some of the biggest overseas stars take centre stage in the UAE.
Defending champions Mumbai Indians will get the tournament started when they rub shoulders with fellow heavyweights Chennai Super Kings in the opener on September 19.
Here, we look at how Rohit Sharma and his men are shaping up for their title defence.
SQUAD
Aditya Tare (WK), Anmolpreet Singh, Anukul Roy, Dhawal Kulkarni, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, James Pattinson, Mitchell McClenaghan, Quinton de Kock (WK), Rahul Chahar, Rohit Sharma (C), Sherfane Rutherford, Surya Kumar Yadav, Trent Boult, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Digvijay Deshmukh, Prince Balwant Rai Singh, Mohsin Khan.
CAPTAIN – ROHIT SHARMA
Image – @IPL/Twitter.
Having led the franchise to a record four IPL titles, Rohit Sharma is by far the most successful skipper in the tournament’s history. The local Mumbai man has turned the fortunes of the team around in emphatic fashion since his move to the franchise in 2011.
With four T20I tons to his name, the India superstar is in the top bracket of batsmen in the limited-overs format. Despite his stellar international success for India in the last few years, Rohit is yet to replicate his best in Mumbai colours so far. He has averaged below 30 in each of his last three IPL campaigns for the franchise, with his strike-rate hovering around the 125 mark in the same duration.
While he can clearly get the best out of his troops in battle, the right-hander will want to impose his own batting supremacy in the competition this year.
TEAM OVERVIEW
The most successful IPL franchise has a reputation for being notoriously slow starters who tend to come alive during the crux stages of the competition. Another slow start could be in store for the champions if their last IPL campaign in the UAE is anything to go by. When the tournament was shifted to the UAE for the initial stages of the 2014 edition, Mumbai lost every single one of their matches in the country.
What Mumbai have going for them is a settled core which has been with the team for several years. With the likes of Rohit, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah in tow, the franchise have a solid spine around whom they can build a final XI.
They will have to cope with the absence of Lasith Malinga though, with the Sri Lanka veteran pulling out of the tournament due to personal reasons. The team management might have missed a trick by bringing in Australia’s James Pattinson as a replacement when another spin option could have been handy for the slower tracks in the UAE.
Some interesting additions to the squad ahead of the 2020 campaign have strengthened Mumbai’s hand, with Sherfane Rutherford, Trent Boult and Chris Lynn being some of the notable purchases.
Lynn has excelled previously on UAE pitches in the T10 League and will be determined to answer his detractors after being released by Kolkata Knight Riders. Boult’s precision and experience should be able to compensate for Malinga’s absence, while the incoming Sherfane Rutherford could be a useful annexation in the all-round department.
PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Domestic – Jasprit Bumrah
Bumrah will hold the key to Mumbai’s bowling fortunes, even more so with the wily Malinga’s absence. The cricketing hiatus induced by Covid-19 could not have come at a better time for the India pace spearhead. He looked extremely rusty in New Zealand earlier this year after recovering from a major back injury and will now have had enough time to fully recuperate.
If he can rediscover his rhythm early in the UAE, Mumbai will be able to bank on four economical overs along with some vital breakthroughs. There is no better T20 bowler than a Bumrah in full flight, especially in the death overs of the innings. His pace, accurate yorkers and cleverly disguised slower deliveries make him a nightmare to face for any batsman.
Overseas – Quinton de Kock
Image – IPL/Twitter.
Bringing in Boult is a fantastic coup for the four-time champions, but it is Quinton de Kock who could turn out to be the most vital overseas player. The South Africa limited-overs skipper will face stiff competition from Chris Lynn for the opening spot, although he will back himself to come out on top owing to his international pedigree.
A downturn in Evin Lewis’ form towards the second half of the 2019 season cost Mumbai heavily, and de Kock could rectify those arrears if he lives up to his reputation. As an attacking batsman who revels in the powerplay overs, the southpaw has the potential to forge an exciting partnership with skipper Rohit Sharma.
There is enough firepower in the Mumbai middle-order with the presence of Pollard and the Pandya brothers. If their openers like Rohit and de Kock start firing on all cylinders, there could be no stopping the team from a fifth IPL title.
Youngster – Rahul Chahar
Image – IPL/Twitter
Plenty of responsibility in the spin department is going to fall on the shoulders of young Rahul Chahar. The 21-year-old was as cool as a cucumber after being thrown into the deep end by Mumbai last year and finished the campaign with 13 wickets in as many matches. More than the wicket-taking capabilities, it was the leg-spinner’s control which caught the eye.
He maintained an excellent economy-rate of just 6.55 in the tournament and those performances even earned him a surprise India debut subsequently. Mumbai’s other spin options will be Krunal Pandya and the untested Anukul Roy, and as such the pressure will be on Chahar to hold fort.
He will certainly get excellent purchase on the slower UAE pitches and could turn out to be Mumbai’s primary bowling hope if Bumrah fails to find his radar.
Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma (C), Quinton de Kock (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah.
