Defenders of the title On Friday, the Mumbai Indians face Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai to begin their IPL title defence. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will face off in the season’s first match. However, there are a number of other players who can tip the game’s balance in their team’s favour. The Mumbai Indians roster includes some major international stars, but the team’s success has been built on a strong Indian heart.
Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik and Krunal Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rahul Chahar are among the few Indians in the team.
ROHIT SHARMA:
The Mumbai Indians have become synonymous with the India opener. It’s difficult to think of MI without thinking of Rohit Sharma. Since joining the franchise, he has had such an impact. However, the stylish right-hander has not been at his best in recent matches. He did hit a fine 161 against England in the Test series, but despite getting starts in the three-match T20I and ODI series, he only managed a half-century with a high score of 64.
Rohit scored just 27.66 in the UAE last season, scoring 332 runs at a strike rate of 127.69. He had three half-centuries but no hundred to his credit.
SURYAKUMAR YADAV:
The 30-year-old made his international debut against England in a T20I series in India. He didn’t bat in his first match, but he made an impression with a brilliant 57 in the second and a fluent 32 in the third and final T20I.
In the last three seasons, Suryakumar has been a revelation for the Mumbai Indians. He scored 480 runs at an average of 40 in 16 matches last year, including four half-centuries. He also had a 145.01 strike rate, which was impressive. Suryakumar scored 424 runs in the 2019 season, but his best IPL performance was in the 2017 season, when he scored 512 runs in 14 matches.
JASPRIT BUMRAH:
Bumrah, the newest member of the Indian cricket team’s husbands’ club, has been out of action since the second Test against England. A rested and rejuvenated Bumrah could spell disaster for the opposition, and the Mumbai Indians would depend on him to take the majority of the wickets.
In the UAE, the paceman was at his menacing best, taking 27 wickets in total to help Mumbai Indians win a record-extending fifth title. He was second only to Kagiso Rabada of the Delhi Capitals, who took 30 wickets. Bumrah’s best IPL season was in 2020. Aside from the wickets, the 27-year-old had a 6.73 economy rate.