Mumbai Indians will be raring to pick up things from where they left it last season as they walked out with the bragging rights, pipping Chennai by a solitary run in a high-octane final. Things will not be the same this time as the fray has been shifted to UAE, keeping in mind the safety of the players and also to avert the menacing vice of the raging pandemic.
One of the major changes which will be impinging the stature of the game is a tectonic shift of stance from being aggressive to more calculative. Considering the status of the UAE pitches which are more conducive for the bowlers, especially the spinners relish a smile broader than the fast bowlers, a lot more brain will be needed to navigate the capricious mazes laid by the opposition instead of sheer muscle.
We will look at the two strongest and weakest players from the Mumbai Indians who can make a significant impact on the Indian Premier League from both ends.
Strongest:
Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah
Sharma has transcended himself beyond the ordinary as the Indian opener has managed to amass 4898 IPL runs with the bat, averaging at 31.60 while striking at a breezy rate of 130.82. The Mumbai Indians also boasts of a century in the fray and has till date smashed 431 boundaries and 194 sixes.
He is not a blind hitter of the ball and can be extremely crucial in Mumbai’s batting line up, leading from the front, given his calculative approach and suiting himself to the needs of the innings. More importantly, Sharma is an impeccable player of spin and on pitches of UAE, his expertise can be a major flame for others to follow. Also, his leadership has been smooth and it has led Mumbai t four championships, thereby underlining the man’s nous as a captain.
With 19 wickets in the preceding edition of the fray, Bumrah was Mumbai’s primary bowling weapon. Clocking regularly at 145 plus kays, he is death over specialist and quite successfully can hit that yorker with Godlike precision.
He is not just an economic bowler but his astonishing figures of 82 wickets from 77 games underline his knack for picking wickets at a regular interval. That is exactly what will make Bumrah one of Mumbai’s best.
Weakest:
Krunal Pandya and Anukul Roy
Pandya’s younger brother is touted to house the ability to flip the game single-handedly with his all-round ability. Unfortunately, the southpaw has failed to leave a strong mark until now and his pedestal performances come pretty rarely.
Out of 55 games, Krunal could only manage 891 runs at an average of 26. However, his strike rate has been considered as good as the figures read 146.06. Being the primary spinning option of the side, he could only manage 40 wickets from 55 games. Give the high hopes that Mumbai pins on Krunal, if he is unable to turn the figures around quickly, he may shortly find himself warming the bench.
Anukul Roy is an untested prodigy. Though this youngster has all the elements that are needed to be a good cricketer present in him, he is still to face tougher challenges. We have seen previously how cricketers hailing from the U-19 World Cups have failed to sustain themselves in the long run.
This is exactly the fear that will haunt this spinning sensation. Fear of failure is a lot more deadly than failure itself. It can twist an athlete to his darkest nightmares and that is why unless Anukul gets accustomed to the big leagues, he will be the weakest link for Mumbai.
