IPL 2019: Mumbai Indians Predicted XI

The three-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) were in the news on the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction day for picking Yuvraj Singh. The left-hander didn’t attract any bidders when he first went under the hammer but later the Mumbai franchise went for him and secured his services at a base price of Rs 1 crore. Apart from him, they also picked the veteran Lasith Malinga along with the four more Indian players during the auction.

On Thursday, the franchise snapped up Jayant Yadav from Delhi Capitals through the trading window which will be open until 30 days before the IPL starts. Rohit Sharma-led franchise didn’t perform to the expectations last season and would be hoping to make amends this time around.

With a total of 25 players in their squad, it would be interesting to see who will make it to the playing XI at the start of the tournament next year.

Here we bring you Mumbai Indians predicted XI:

Openers (Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav)

Mumbai Indians picked Quinton de Kock in a trading window from the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and he is a sure starter in the playing XI. The left-hander didn’t make much impact for the RCB last season but is in great form at the moment as he also became the Player of the tournament in the recently concluded Mzansi Super League (MSL). Moreover, the fact that the IPL might take place in South Africa makes him the most valuable player for the franchise in the upcoming season.

Suryakumar Yadav was a surprise package like Ambati Rayudu in the IPL 2018. He made the most of the opportunity and owned the opening slot by scoring 512 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 133.33. An average of 36.57 is the testament to the amazing consistency during the tournament and the team management would want to continue with him at the top in the next season as well.

Middle-Order (Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma (c), Kieron Pollard)

This is where Mumbai were in trouble earlier this year. Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma are very good players but couldn’t click in the middle-order. The former bats well when he gets a little more deliveries which was the reason he batted at three. Whenever he was pushed down the order, the wicket-keeper batsman failed. A total of 275 runs at a strike-rate of close to 150 should be enough to let him bat at three. Moreover, Kishan will most probably play as a specialist batsman with De Kock in the side.

Rohit Sharma endured one of the poor seasons in the IPL and the skipper will be itching to lead from the front in that aspect. His form will also be important keeping the World Cup in mind. However, he will once again have to make do with his opening spot for the team and bat in the middle-order. A lot will depend on how he carries the team with him in the IPL.

Kieron Pollard played only a solitary match-winning knock in the last season after the franchise emotionally used a Right to Match (RTM) card for him. He doesn’t bowl much nowadays and has no option but to click with the bat consistently. Probably he will bat at five which allows him time to get settled before attacking the opposition bowlers. It will be tough for Yuvraj to crack into the playing XI but can make it later in the season if the middle-order continues to be in troubled waters for MI.

All-Rounders (Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Ben Cutting)

Hardik Pandya is the best utility player for Mumbai and he will definitely be in the XI of the team. But with the World Cup approaching, he might be rested mid-way during the tournament. Having said that, the pace-bowling all-rounder is a vital cog for them and is matured enough now to bat at number six. He was the leading wicket-taker for them last season with 18 wickets in 13 outings and his form will decide the team’s fate more often than not.

The other half of Pandya, Krunal is also an all-rounder and his consistent performances in IPL has earned him a place in the national side. Like his brother, even Krunal is an exceptional batsman and mostly completes his quota of four overs being economical while picking wickets as well. For him, it will only be about continuing in the same vein.

Ben Cutting played only nine matches last season but proved his worth. He almost won Mumbai the must-win game with the bat which would’ve taken them into the playoffs. Nevertheless, that knock has helped him in being retained by the franchise and the fact that he will be available for the whole season makes him one of the more important players in the line-up.

Bowlers (Jason Behrendorff, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah)

Jason Behrendorff couldn’t play in the IPL 2018 due to the injury but was retained by Mumbai surprisingly. He offers a lot with his left-arm pace option and would be keen to make the difference this time around. Behrendorff started his Big Bash League season well against the Melbourne Renegades on December 20 and his IPL team would love to see him coming into the tournament with a lot of wickets in his kitty.

Lasith Malinga’s availability is still not clear with the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the support staff set to take call soon on him playing the IPL. He has been made the captain of ODI and T20I teams now and it remains to be seen who among Behrendorff and him plays if the veteran Sri Lankan is indeed available.

Mayan Markande lost his sheen after the first half last season as the teams figured him out. He will be looking to add more variations to his repertoire to make an impact. Jasprit Bumrah has been playing too much cricket these days and there will be scrutiny on the number of matches he will be playing in the IPL. His workload is being managed carefully in the limited-overs format and Team India will need him the most in the World Cup.

Keeping the same in mind, Bumrah might not play all the matches but will be part of the playing XI at the start of the season for sure. In his absence, the likes of Barinder Sran, Mitchell McClenaghan or Adam Milne are likely to take care of the bowling department.

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