5 Selection problems Mumbai Indians might face in IPL 2020

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.

1. Jasprit Bumrah’s form

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.

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’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.