IPL 2022: After failing to reach the playoffs last season, the five-time champions Mumbai Indians have once again built a strong squad at the mega-auction after retaining four of their core players, and bolstered that core with a record re-signing of Ishan Kishan for 15.25 crore.
Mumbai Indians have a slight advantage over other teams this time of playing in their home city with about 25 percent of the stadiums allowed to be filled.
Here’s a look at how Mumbai Indians may line-up this season:
Attacking top-order
Ishan Kishan is set to open alongside Rohit Sharma with Suryakumar Yadav coming at number 4. Young uncapped Tilak Varma from Hyderabad, who is rated highly by the MI management, is expected to start in the middle-order.
Powerful finishers
One of the key reasons for their success in the past years was their finishers – Kieron Pollard, and Hardik and Krunal Pandya. While Pollard is retained, MI still have a destructive finishing order with the inclusion of Tim David, who has travelled around the world making his name as a six-hitting machine. Pollard and David will have the support further of Australia’s Daniel Sams, a hard-hitting batter and left-arm seam bowler.
Tilak Varma, Tim David, and Kieron Pollard all are handy part-time bowling options.
Bowlers
Jasprit Bumrah will once again spearhead MI’s bowling attack, and in his support will be Tymal Mills, a T20 globetrotter who has reinvigorated his international career returning to England’s T20 side. Mills is a perfect replacement for Trent Boult- although Mills is a better and designated death specialist than Boult.
Mayank Markande, who was with Mumbai Indians in 2018 and 2019, is likely to be in the starting eleven, and will be competing with a place with Murugan Ashwin. Senior and proven pacer Jaydev Unadkat could also get a look in if MI feel the need to have four pacers.
But their tail looks long-ish with four bowlers and hence the management could also opt to include uncapped talented all-rounder Sanjay Yadav at number 8.
As the season goes deep, fast bowlers Riley Meredith and Basil Thampi would come in action, while Fabian Allen is another all-rounder (another ball basher) who could slot in anytime and change the game. Fans are also excited to see ‘Baby AB’ Dewald Brevis at some point in the tournament.
Mumbai Indians best predicted XI for IPL 2022:
Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tim David, Kieron Pollard, Daniel Sams, Sanjay Yadav/Murugan Ashwin/Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah, Tymal Mills.
