IPL 2023: ‘Mission Impossible’ For Mumbai Indians?

New Delhi: Mumbai Indians is the most successful team in IPL history. No team has won more titles than them in the tournament’s history. Under Rohit Sharma’s leadership MI have lifted the IPL title five times but last year, they had to suffer an embarrasment of finishing at the last postion. MI was only able to win four matches of the total 14 and finished at the bottom. It was something hard to believe from the team of Mumbai’s calibre, which time and again had defied expectations to rule the roost.

After the lows of 2022, MI will hope to bounce back this year and win the record extending sixth title but before their campaign could start they suffered a big blow in form of Jasprit Bumrah. The star pace it out of IPL due to a back injury. He will not be able to play a single match this year.

He was the only bowler who was able to show some fight and now MI will have to do it without him and if that was not all then Australian pacer Jhye Richardson too joined the list of absentees. He will also miss the complete season. But does this twin blow will cancel out MI’s chances. Well, if you think so then you are mistaken. This is IPL and here unexpected things are bound to take place.

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In Rohit Sharma they have one of the biggest match winners in cricket history. And then who can discount Suryakumar Yadav who has taken the T20 cricket by storm in 2022. The world’s No. 1 T20 batter scored over 1000 runs in T20Is last year and has carried that form in 2023 as well. He will be a big player to watch out for. And then there’s big bird Cameron Green as well, who was snapped for Rs 17.50 crore in the mini auction last year. With Kieron Pollard no more in the squad now, the onus will be on the likes of Tim David, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs to excel as finisher.

Among the Indian players, Ishan Kishan, who scored the fastest double century in ODIs last year will be a big man to watch out for especially because MI spent 15.25 crore to acquire his services. Among others Tilak Carma showed a lot of promise last year.

In the bowling, in Bumrah’s absence, Jofra Archer will lead the pace attack and will have Australian pacer Jason Behrendroff for support. Apart from these two there’s no big name in fast bowling, whereas among spinners veteran Piyush Chawla and domestic cricket stars Shams Mulani and Kumar Katikeya are there.