With the Indian Premier League starting at the end of this month, the hopes of fans from their teams are sky-high. IPL is nothing less than a festive season for fans and the quality of cricket we see in the IPL, it is nothing less than sheer class. IPL has attained popularity all over the world and it is suffice to say that it has revolutionized the way the game is played.

Mumbai Indians have dominated Indian Premier League like no other team, with Chennai Super Kings being a close second. Although Mumbai Indians have undoubtedly one of the strongest squads of the tournament, on paper, they might have some selection problems of their own. The defending champions have the strongest squad depth as of now, but that might cause them a few problems.

During the IPL Auctions, which took place in December 2019, each team went all in to solidify all the gaps in their respective squads. Mumbai Indians did it perfectly as they went on to sign Chris Lynn, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Saurabh Tiwari and three uncapped Indians. They also traded in Dhawal Kulkarni, Trent Boult, and Sherfane Rutherford.

All these big names come with much more than cricket, they come with a dilemma which the four-time winners might face ahead of the tournament. Here are 5 Selection problems Mumbai Indians might face in IPL 2020.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-338278" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jasprit-Bumrah.jpg" alt="Jasprit Bumrah" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-338278" class="wp-caption-text">Jasprit Bumrah. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption>

Jasprit Bumrah has always been an ace pacer wherever he played, be it be for India or for Mumbai Indians. The entire bowling department revolves around one man and that is Bumrah. He has always come out victorious in crunch situations and has helped Mumbai win the matches out of nowhere. Thanks to Bumrah&#8217;s heroics in the 2019 IPL Finals, Mumbai Indians lifted the prestigious trophy for the fourth time, becoming the most successful franchise.

However, ever since his return from injury, he has not been his former self. In the ODI series against Australia, the Indian ace pacer managed to bag just one wicket. In the T20I series against New Zealand, Bumrah managed only 6 scalps in the five matches he played, with three of them coming in one match. He is yet to find his lost rhythm ever since he has made his return to international cricket.

Bumrah&#8217;s form might be a big concern for Rohit Sharma as he will have to choose other bowlers depending on how Bumrah is performing. MI have a lot of options to choose from. Trent Boult, Lasith Malinga, Nathan Coulter-Nile, and Mitchell McClenaghan are the overseas options that the side have. Rohit Sharma will make a call whether to play an extra quick or not, depending on how Bumrah&#8217;s form is.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-339291" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Quinton-de-Kock-1.jpg" alt="Quinton de Kock" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-339291" class="wp-caption-text">Quinton de Kock. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption>

Another selection dilemma that Mumbai Indians might face is to see which opening pair are they going to go with. Over the last couple of seasons, Mumbai Indians have tried multiple opening options with Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, and Quinton De Kock. Last season, however, it was Rohit Sharma and Quinton De Kock who took the onus of opening the innings. In IPL 2020, the money would have been on Sharma and De Kock to open the innings, however, Chris Lynn is now in the picture as well.

With Lynn joining the squad, the dilemma for the opening duo has increased. The versatility offered by Rohit might push him back to the middle order with De Kock and Lynn opening. Another option that Mumbai Indians could try is to go with the hard-hitting Mumbaikar, Suryakumar Yadav, who has taken the responsibility of opening the innings in the past. Mumbai could also drop De Kock and give the wicketkeeping responsibility to Ishan Kishan to open with Chris Lynn and Suryakumar Yadav.

Quinton had an excellent outing last time around with the South African scoring over 500 runs in the tournament. Rohit, on the other hand, had an outing full of ups and downs and he managed to score just over 400 runs in the tournament. The pair managed to get a 50+ partnership only 5 times in IPL 2019. Chris Lynn in the picture might just shake things up a little for the defending champions.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-341155" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rahul-Chahar.jpg" alt="Rahul Chahar, Mumbai Indians, IPL" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-341155" class="wp-caption-text">Rahul Chahar. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption>

Mumbai Indians have one of the strongest squads on paper, but what they lack is the experienced spinner in their squad. MI have a lot of options when it comes to opening, all rounders, pacers, middle order. However, when it comes to the spin department, they look decent at best with only three reliable spin options, Jayant Yadav, Krunal Pandya, and Rahul Chahar. Mumbai did not look to go for a spinner in the auctions.

Previously, Mumbai had a veteran spin option, with Harbhajan Singh filling in the spot for a decade. However, with him gone to Chennai Super Kings ahead of IPL 2018, Mumbai Indians have failed to fill up that spot with an experienced spin option. Harbhajan Singh has played 136 matches for Mumbai and in that tenure, he picked up 127 wickets. With him gone, it will be interesting to see how Rohit Sharma selects his playing XI.

With Krunal Pandya being an automatic selection, Rohit Sharma will make a call on what the team composition will be. If Mumbai go with two spinners, then Krunal Pandya is likely to bowl along with Rahul Chahar. The two-spinner strategy might work at the Wankhede where the ball does not turn much, however, on slower tracks of Chennai, it might not be the best option to go with two spinners. Thus, Mumbai Indians lack the veteran spinning option in their squad.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-331350" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rohit-Sharma.jpg" alt="Rohit Sharma" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-331350" class="wp-caption-text">Rohit Sharma. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption>

Another dilemma that Mumbai Indians might face is where to play Rohit Sharma. The Indian opener has played the majority of his career at No. 4 for MI and has found a lot of success there. However, in IPL 2019, Rohit opened the innings along with Quinton De Kock. With Chris Lynn in the squad now, Rohit Sharma could well be on his way to the middle order. Also, with T20 World Cup scheduled for October this year, Rohit could also decide to open the innings.

Rohit Sharma is undoubtedly the most important player for Mumbai, not just as a captain, but as a batsman as well. The Mumbaikar has found a lot of success in international cricket as an opener and is one of the biggest names in the game. In IPL, however, he has made the #4 spot as his own and has been absolutely sensational at number 4. Mumbai&#8217;s middle-order will get a huge boost, should Rohit Sharma play in the middle order and not as an opener.

Throughout his IPL career, Rohit has played at #4 in 86 innings, where he scored 2392 runs at a healthy average of 32. The dashing batsman has also played 40 innings at #3 where he managed to score 920 runs at an average of 25. As an opener, Rohit has scored 1018 runs at just over 35. It will be tempting for the MI skipper to drop down to the middle order and open with Lynn and De Kock.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-341354" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mumbai-Indians-players-1.jpg" alt="Mumbai Indians, IPL" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-341354" class="wp-caption-text">Mumbai Indians. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption>

One everlasting rule of the IPL is that there could only be a maximum of 4 overseas players in the Playing XI. Most teams fail to find the four best overseas players for their needs, but not Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians are blessed with overseas spots and all of them with immense talent and could take away the game from the opposition in no time. The four-time IPL winners have 8 overseas options to choose from and all of them are Ace level players.

Mumbai have four overseas pacers in the squad, Trent Boult, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell McClenaghan, and Nathan Coulter-Nile. With Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya already in the team, Mumbai will pick a maximum of two pacers out of the four. The only dilemma they will face is which option to go for. Trent Boult offers the swing upfront, whereas McClenaghan offers an extra pace. Lasith Malinga offers the death bowling, whereas Coulter-Nile offers line and length and movement off the surface.

Mumbai also have two overseas openers, Chris Lynn and Quinton de Kock, and they might just go with one of them, especially if Rohit is to open the innings. For lower middle order, Mumbai have two hard-hitting all-rounders in Kieron Pollard and Sherfane Rutherford. Both of them are hard-hitting all-rounders, with the difference being Pollard gives more batting stability whereas Sherfane Rutherford gives more bowling stability. To choose four out of eight overseas options, it will be nothing less than a challenge for the men in blue.

Rohit Sharma (C), Quinton De Kock (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga

<p>With the Indian Premier League starting at the end of this month, the hopes of fans from their teams are sky-high. IPL is nothing less than a festive season for fans and the quality of cricket we see in the IPL, it is nothing less than sheer class. IPL has attained popularity all over the world and it is suffice to say that it has revolutionized the way the game is played.</p>
<p>Mumbai Indians have dominated Indian Premier League like no other team, with Chennai Super Kings being a close second. Although Mumbai Indians have undoubtedly one of the strongest squads of the tournament, on paper, they might have some selection problems of their own. The defending champions have the strongest squad depth as of now, but that might cause them a few problems.</p>
<p>During the IPL Auctions, which took place in December 2019, each team went all in to solidify all the gaps in their respective squads. Mumbai Indians did it perfectly as they went on to sign Chris Lynn, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Saurabh Tiwari and three uncapped Indians. They also traded in Dhawal Kulkarni, Trent Boult, and Sherfane Rutherford.</p>
<p>All these big names come with much more than cricket, they come with a dilemma which the four-time winners might face ahead of the tournament. Here are 5 Selection problems Mumbai Indians might face in IPL 2020.</p>
<h3>1. Jasprit Bumrah’s form</h3>
<figure id="attachment_338278" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-338278" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-338278" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jasprit-Bumrah.jpg" alt="Jasprit Bumrah" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-338278" class="wp-caption-text">Jasprit Bumrah. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Jasprit Bumrah has always been an ace pacer wherever he played, be it be for India or for Mumbai Indians. The entire bowling department revolves around one man and that is Bumrah. He has always come out victorious in crunch situations and has helped Mumbai win the matches out of nowhere. Thanks to Bumrah’s heroics in the 2019 IPL Finals, Mumbai Indians lifted the prestigious trophy for the fourth time, becoming the most successful franchise.</p>
<p>However, ever since his return from injury, he has not been his former self. In the ODI series against Australia, the Indian ace pacer managed to bag just one wicket. In the T20I series against New Zealand, Bumrah managed only 6 scalps in the five matches he played, with three of them coming in one match. He is yet to find his lost rhythm ever since he has made his return to international cricket.</p>
<p>Bumrah’s form might be a big concern for Rohit Sharma as he will have to choose other bowlers depending on how Bumrah is performing. MI have a lot of options to choose from. Trent Boult, Lasith Malinga, Nathan Coulter-Nile, and Mitchell McClenaghan are the overseas options that the side have. Rohit Sharma will make a call whether to play an extra quick or not, depending on how Bumrah’s form is.</p>
<h3>2. Opening pair</h3>
<figure id="attachment_339291" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-339291" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-339291" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Quinton-de-Kock-1.jpg" alt="Quinton de Kock" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-339291" class="wp-caption-text">Quinton de Kock. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Another selection dilemma that Mumbai Indians might face is to see which opening pair are they going to go with. Over the last couple of seasons, Mumbai Indians have tried multiple opening options with Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, and Quinton De Kock. Last season, however, it was Rohit Sharma and Quinton De Kock who took the onus of opening the innings. In IPL 2020, the money would have been on Sharma and De Kock to open the innings, however, Chris Lynn is now in the picture as well.</p>
<p>With Lynn joining the squad, the dilemma for the opening duo has increased. The versatility offered by Rohit might push him back to the middle order with De Kock and Lynn opening. Another option that Mumbai Indians could try is to go with the hard-hitting Mumbaikar, Suryakumar Yadav, who has taken the responsibility of opening the innings in the past. Mumbai could also drop De Kock and give the wicketkeeping responsibility to Ishan Kishan to open with Chris Lynn and Suryakumar Yadav.</p>
<p>Quinton had an excellent outing last time around with the South African scoring over 500 runs in the tournament. Rohit, on the other hand, had an outing full of ups and downs and he managed to score just over 400 runs in the tournament. The pair managed to get a 50+ partnership only 5 times in IPL 2019. Chris Lynn in the picture might just shake things up a little for the defending champions.</p>
<h3>3. Spin option</h3>
<figure id="attachment_341155" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-341155" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-341155" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rahul-Chahar.jpg" alt="Rahul Chahar, Mumbai Indians, IPL" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-341155" class="wp-caption-text">Rahul Chahar. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Mumbai Indians have one of the strongest squads on paper, but what they lack is the experienced spinner in their squad. MI have a lot of options when it comes to opening, all rounders, pacers, middle order. However, when it comes to the spin department, they look decent at best with only three reliable spin options, Jayant Yadav, Krunal Pandya, and Rahul Chahar. Mumbai did not look to go for a spinner in the auctions.</p>
<p>Previously, Mumbai had a veteran spin option, with Harbhajan Singh filling in the spot for a decade. However, with him gone to Chennai Super Kings ahead of IPL 2018, Mumbai Indians have failed to fill up that spot with an experienced spin option. Harbhajan Singh has played 136 matches for Mumbai and in that tenure, he picked up 127 wickets. With him gone, it will be interesting to see how Rohit Sharma selects his playing XI.</p>
<p>With Krunal Pandya being an automatic selection, Rohit Sharma will make a call on what the team composition will be. If Mumbai go with two spinners, then Krunal Pandya is likely to bowl along with Rahul Chahar. The two-spinner strategy might work at the Wankhede where the ball does not turn much, however, on slower tracks of Chennai, it might not be the best option to go with two spinners. Thus, Mumbai Indians lack the veteran spinning option in their squad.</p>
<h3>4. Rohit Sharma’s batting spot</h3>
<figure id="attachment_331350" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-331350" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-331350" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rohit-Sharma.jpg" alt="Rohit Sharma" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-331350" class="wp-caption-text">Rohit Sharma. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Another dilemma that Mumbai Indians might face is where to play Rohit Sharma. The Indian opener has played the majority of his career at No. 4 for MI and has found a lot of success there. However, in IPL 2019, Rohit opened the innings along with Quinton De Kock. With Chris Lynn in the squad now, Rohit Sharma could well be on his way to the middle order. Also, with T20 World Cup scheduled for October this year, Rohit could also decide to open the innings.</p>
<p>Rohit Sharma is undoubtedly the most important player for Mumbai, not just as a captain, but as a batsman as well. The Mumbaikar has found a lot of success in international cricket as an opener and is one of the biggest names in the game. In IPL, however, he has made the #4 spot as his own and has been absolutely sensational at number 4. Mumbai’s middle-order will get a huge boost, should Rohit Sharma play in the middle order and not as an opener.</p>
<p>Throughout his IPL career, Rohit has played at #4 in 86 innings, where he scored 2392 runs at a healthy average of 32. The dashing batsman has also played 40 innings at #3 where he managed to score 920 runs at an average of 25. As an opener, Rohit has scored 1018 runs at just over 35. It will be tempting for the MI skipper to drop down to the middle order and open with Lynn and De Kock.</p>
<h3>5. Overseas options</h3>
<figure id="attachment_341354" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-341354" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-341354" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mumbai-Indians-players-1.jpg" alt="Mumbai Indians, IPL" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-341354" class="wp-caption-text">Mumbai Indians. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>One everlasting rule of the IPL is that there could only be a maximum of 4 overseas players in the Playing XI. Most teams fail to find the four best overseas players for their needs, but not Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians are blessed with overseas spots and all of them with immense talent and could take away the game from the opposition in no time. The four-time IPL winners have 8 overseas options to choose from and all of them are Ace level players.</p>
<p>Mumbai have four overseas pacers in the squad, Trent Boult, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell McClenaghan, and Nathan Coulter-Nile. With Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya already in the team, Mumbai will pick a maximum of two pacers out of the four. The only dilemma they will face is which option to go for. Trent Boult offers the swing upfront, whereas McClenaghan offers an extra pace. Lasith Malinga offers the death bowling, whereas Coulter-Nile offers line and length and movement off the surface.</p>
<p>Mumbai also have two overseas openers, Chris Lynn and Quinton de Kock, and they might just go with one of them, especially if Rohit is to open the innings. For lower middle order, Mumbai have two hard-hitting all-rounders in Kieron Pollard and Sherfane Rutherford. Both of them are hard-hitting all-rounders, with the difference being Pollard gives more batting stability whereas Sherfane Rutherford gives more bowling stability. To choose four out of eight overseas options, it will be nothing less than a challenge for the men in blue.</p>
<h3>Predicted Playing XI for Mumbai Indians</h3>
<p>Rohit Sharma (C), Quinton De Kock (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga</p>

<p>With the Indian Premier League starting at the end of this month, the hopes of fans from their teams are sky-high. IPL is nothing less than a festive season for fans and the quality of cricket we see in the IPL, it is nothing less than sheer class. IPL has attained popularity all over the world and it is suffice to say that it has revolutionized the way the game is played.</p>
<p>Mumbai Indians have dominated Indian Premier League like no other team, with Chennai Super Kings being a close second. Although Mumbai Indians have undoubtedly one of the strongest squads of the tournament, on paper, they might have some selection problems of their own. The defending champions have the strongest squad depth as of now, but that might cause them a few problems.</p>
<p>During the IPL Auctions, which took place in December 2019, each team went all in to solidify all the gaps in their respective squads. Mumbai Indians did it perfectly as they went on to sign Chris Lynn, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Saurabh Tiwari and three uncapped Indians. They also traded in Dhawal Kulkarni, Trent Boult, and Sherfane Rutherford.</p>
<p>All these big names come with much more than cricket, they come with a dilemma which the four-time winners might face ahead of the tournament. Here are 5 Selection problems Mumbai Indians might face in IPL 2020.</p>
<h3>1. Jasprit Bumrah&#8217;s form</h3>
<figure id="attachment_338278" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-338278" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-338278" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jasprit-Bumrah.jpg" alt="Jasprit Bumrah" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-338278" class="wp-caption-text">Jasprit Bumrah. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Jasprit Bumrah has always been an ace pacer wherever he played, be it be for India or for Mumbai Indians. The entire bowling department revolves around one man and that is Bumrah. He has always come out victorious in crunch situations and has helped Mumbai win the matches out of nowhere. Thanks to Bumrah&#8217;s heroics in the 2019 IPL Finals, Mumbai Indians lifted the prestigious trophy for the fourth time, becoming the most successful franchise.</p>
<p>However, ever since his return from injury, he has not been his former self. In the ODI series against Australia, the Indian ace pacer managed to bag just one wicket. In the T20I series against New Zealand, Bumrah managed only 6 scalps in the five matches he played, with three of them coming in one match. He is yet to find his lost rhythm ever since he has made his return to international cricket.</p>
<p>Bumrah&#8217;s form might be a big concern for Rohit Sharma as he will have to choose other bowlers depending on how Bumrah is performing. MI have a lot of options to choose from. Trent Boult, Lasith Malinga, Nathan Coulter-Nile, and Mitchell McClenaghan are the overseas options that the side have. Rohit Sharma will make a call whether to play an extra quick or not, depending on how Bumrah&#8217;s form is.</p>
<h3>2. Opening pair</h3>
<figure id="attachment_339291" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-339291" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-339291" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Quinton-de-Kock-1.jpg" alt="Quinton de Kock" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-339291" class="wp-caption-text">Quinton de Kock. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Another selection dilemma that Mumbai Indians might face is to see which opening pair are they going to go with. Over the last couple of seasons, Mumbai Indians have tried multiple opening options with Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, and Quinton De Kock. Last season, however, it was Rohit Sharma and Quinton De Kock who took the onus of opening the innings. In IPL 2020, the money would have been on Sharma and De Kock to open the innings, however, Chris Lynn is now in the picture as well.</p>
<p>With Lynn joining the squad, the dilemma for the opening duo has increased. The versatility offered by Rohit might push him back to the middle order with De Kock and Lynn opening. Another option that Mumbai Indians could try is to go with the hard-hitting Mumbaikar, Suryakumar Yadav, who has taken the responsibility of opening the innings in the past. Mumbai could also drop De Kock and give the wicketkeeping responsibility to Ishan Kishan to open with Chris Lynn and Suryakumar Yadav.</p>
<p>Quinton had an excellent outing last time around with the South African scoring over 500 runs in the tournament. Rohit, on the other hand, had an outing full of ups and downs and he managed to score just over 400 runs in the tournament. The pair managed to get a 50+ partnership only 5 times in IPL 2019. Chris Lynn in the picture might just shake things up a little for the defending champions.</p>
<h3>3. Spin option</h3>
<figure id="attachment_341155" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-341155" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-341155" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rahul-Chahar.jpg" alt="Rahul Chahar, Mumbai Indians, IPL" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-341155" class="wp-caption-text">Rahul Chahar. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Mumbai Indians have one of the strongest squads on paper, but what they lack is the experienced spinner in their squad. MI have a lot of options when it comes to opening, all rounders, pacers, middle order. However, when it comes to the spin department, they look decent at best with only three reliable spin options, Jayant Yadav, Krunal Pandya, and Rahul Chahar. Mumbai did not look to go for a spinner in the auctions.</p>
<p>Previously, Mumbai had a veteran spin option, with Harbhajan Singh filling in the spot for a decade. However, with him gone to Chennai Super Kings ahead of IPL 2018, Mumbai Indians have failed to fill up that spot with an experienced spin option. Harbhajan Singh has played 136 matches for Mumbai and in that tenure, he picked up 127 wickets. With him gone, it will be interesting to see how Rohit Sharma selects his playing XI.</p>
<p>With Krunal Pandya being an automatic selection, Rohit Sharma will make a call on what the team composition will be. If Mumbai go with two spinners, then Krunal Pandya is likely to bowl along with Rahul Chahar. The two-spinner strategy might work at the Wankhede where the ball does not turn much, however, on slower tracks of Chennai, it might not be the best option to go with two spinners. Thus, Mumbai Indians lack the veteran spinning option in their squad.</p>
<h3>4. Rohit Sharma&#8217;s batting spot</h3>
<figure id="attachment_331350" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-331350" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-331350" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rohit-Sharma.jpg" alt="Rohit Sharma" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-331350" class="wp-caption-text">Rohit Sharma. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Another dilemma that Mumbai Indians might face is where to play Rohit Sharma. The Indian opener has played the majority of his career at No. 4 for MI and has found a lot of success there. However, in IPL 2019, Rohit opened the innings along with Quinton De Kock. With Chris Lynn in the squad now, Rohit Sharma could well be on his way to the middle order. Also, with T20 World Cup scheduled for October this year, Rohit could also decide to open the innings.</p>
<p>Rohit Sharma is undoubtedly the most important player for Mumbai, not just as a captain, but as a batsman as well. The Mumbaikar has found a lot of success in international cricket as an opener and is one of the biggest names in the game. In IPL, however, he has made the #4 spot as his own and has been absolutely sensational at number 4. Mumbai&#8217;s middle-order will get a huge boost, should Rohit Sharma play in the middle order and not as an opener.</p>
<p>Throughout his IPL career, Rohit has played at #4 in 86 innings, where he scored 2392 runs at a healthy average of 32. The dashing batsman has also played 40 innings at #3 where he managed to score 920 runs at an average of 25. As an opener, Rohit has scored 1018 runs at just over 35. It will be tempting for the MI skipper to drop down to the middle order and open with Lynn and De Kock.</p>
<h3>5. Overseas options</h3>
<figure id="attachment_341354" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-341354" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-341354" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mumbai-Indians-players-1.jpg" alt="Mumbai Indians, IPL" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-341354" class="wp-caption-text">Mumbai Indians. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>One everlasting rule of the IPL is that there could only be a maximum of 4 overseas players in the Playing XI. Most teams fail to find the four best overseas players for their needs, but not Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians are blessed with overseas spots and all of them with immense talent and could take away the game from the opposition in no time. The four-time IPL winners have 8 overseas options to choose from and all of them are Ace level players.</p>
<p>Mumbai have four overseas pacers in the squad, Trent Boult, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell McClenaghan, and Nathan Coulter-Nile. With Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya already in the team, Mumbai will pick a maximum of two pacers out of the four. The only dilemma they will face is which option to go for. Trent Boult offers the swing upfront, whereas McClenaghan offers an extra pace. Lasith Malinga offers the death bowling, whereas Coulter-Nile offers line and length and movement off the surface.</p>
<p>Mumbai also have two overseas openers, Chris Lynn and Quinton de Kock, and they might just go with one of them, especially if Rohit is to open the innings. For lower middle order, Mumbai have two hard-hitting all-rounders in Kieron Pollard and Sherfane Rutherford. Both of them are hard-hitting all-rounders, with the difference being Pollard gives more batting stability whereas Sherfane Rutherford gives more bowling stability. To choose four out of eight overseas options, it will be nothing less than a challenge for the men in blue.</p>
<h3>Predicted Playing XI for Mumbai Indians</h3>
<p>Rohit Sharma (C), Quinton De Kock (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga</p>

Mumbai Indians might face a few problems once the tournament begins.

5 Selection problems Mumbai Indians might face in IPL 2020

Mumbai Indians have dominated Indian Premier League like no other team, with Chennai Super Kings being a close second. Although Mumbai Indians