Mumbai Indians are heading into the 2023 edition of the IPL as one of the most fearsome batting units. Their bowling though isn't nearly as nuclear as their batting can be. Before MI take the field against RCB on April 2, here is a look at their strengths and weaknesses.
Jofra Archer - The Sole Enforcer
In Jasprit Bumrah's absence, Jofra Archer, as of now, looks like the sole enforcer for Mumbai Indians. He will open the attack and will also assume the death bowling duties.
MI also have Green, who will also double in as a 4-over bowler and will lead the attack with Archer. Shams Mulani, Piyush Chawla and Kumar Kartikeya will take care of the spin. A lot will depend on how Jason Behrendroff fares this season. He will, in all probability open the attack with Archer, and partner him during death overs.
Shams Mulani and Kumar Kartikeya are relatively inexperienced and can leak runs in the middle overs. Piyush Chawla is a proven customer, but his form is also up in the air. Bowling, as of now, seems like a big worry for Mumbai Indians and a potential threat to their campaign.
Nuclear Batting
Rohit and Kishan will open the attack for MI, while Tilak Verma, owing to his exploits in the last season should bat at number 3. Suryakumar Yadav will be a no-brainer at number 4, and Tim David along with Cameron Green will assume the finishing duties. If MI can find an Indian replacement for Jasprit Bumrah, Dewald Brevis too can feature in the eleven, and that will further provide their batting with an invincible look.
They can also switch Cameron Green as an opener, while Kishan can bat at number 3. This will allow them to go even harder during the Powerplay, given Green's immense hitting potential.
Since they have a weak bowling line-up, their finishers like Tim David, Cameron Green and Suryakumar Yadav can present them an opportunity to level the playing field by adding those necessary 15-20 extra runs.
Squad: Mumbai Indians
Cameron Green, Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah, Tim David, Suryakumar Yadav, Jofra Archer, Dewald Brevis, Tilak Varma, Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff, Piyush Chawla, Arjun Tendulkar, Ramandeep Singh, Shams Mulani, Nehal Wadhera, Kumar Kartikeya, Hrithik Shokeen, Akash Madhwal, Arshad Khan, Raghav Goyal, Duan Jansen, Tristan Stubbs, and Vishnu Vinod
IPL 2023 Schedule For MI
- April 2, 2023 – Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians, Bengaluru
- April 8, 2023 – Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai
- April 11, 2023 – Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians, Delhi
- April 16, 2023 – Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai
- April 18, 2023 – Sunrisers Hyderabad v Mumbai Indians, Hyderabad
- April 22, 2023 – Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings, Mumbai
- April 25, 2023 – Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians, Ahmedabad
- April 30, 2023 – Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai
- May 3, 2023 – Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Mohali
- May 6, 2023 – Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Chennai
- May 9, 2023 – Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai
- May 12, 2023 – Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Titans, Mumbai
- May 16, 2023 – Lucknow Super Giants vs Mumbai Indians, Lucknow
- May 21, 2023 – Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai
