MI found themselves in the tenth spot, at the league’s bottom, with just four victories out of 14 matches. The team’s performance was tainted by unwelcoming receptions for their new skipper, Hardik Pandya, both at the Wankhede stadium and elsewhere in the nation. Rumors swirled that their dressing room was plagued by discord.
One year later, it seems that those problems have been resolved. Jasprit Bumrah remained a key player for MI; Rohit Sharma successfully guided India to victory in two ICC tournaments within the past 12 months; Hardik gained back the support of fans by contributing to T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy wins; and Suryakumar Yadav was promoted to captain of India’s T20I team.
The team from MI has strengthened their pace bowling squad for the upcoming season with the addition of Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar. However, they will have to manage without Bumrah in their initial matches due to his injury. Additionally, they have acquired the reliable and seasoned player, Mitchell Santner, who enters the IPL on a high note after leading New Zealand to the finals of the Champions Trophy.
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The remaining members of the MI overseas contingent lack IPL experience. This includes Ryan Rickelton from South Africa, most likely to open with Rohit, as well as Corbin Bosch and New Zealand’s Bevon Jacobs who are making their IPL debut this season. Reece Topley played five games in the past two years, while Will Jacks made his debut last season. Additionally, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who was injured for much of 2024 but recently proved his fitness by finishing as Paarl Royals’ top wicket-taker in the SA20, will also be returning to the league for the first time since 2021.
As MI’s formidable batting lineup takes the field, their main hurdle will be maintaining a well-rounded bowling attack without Bumrah at the beginning of the season. While Boult and Chahar have the powerplay under control, there may be difficulties in the death overs.
The top choice among the twelve options
1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Ryan Rickelton* (wk), 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya (capt), 6 Robin Minz, 7 Naman Dhir, 8 Deepak Chahar, 9 Either Corbin Bosch or Mujeeb Ur Rahman*, 10 Mitchell Santner*, 11 Karn Sharma, and finally at number 12 we have Trent Boult*.
At the mega auction in November 2024, 22-year-old Bevon Jacobs caught the attention of MI, despite having played fewer than ten T20s on New Zealand’s domestic circuit. His impressive strike rate of 188.73 for Canterbury during the 2023-24 Super Smash was followed by a successful season with Auckland, where he scored 263 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 140.64. This included a stellar performance of 90 off just 56 balls against Northern Districts. Recently, Jacobs achieved a major milestone in his career, scoring his first century in senior cricket – an impressive 157 against Central Districts in first-class cricket before departing for India to join the IPL.
Jacobs’ selection for MI Emirates in the ILT20 was no surprise, given his success with the MI franchise. However, his performance there was underwhelming, facing just 27 balls for 26 runs in three innings. As always, the big question for young players who make a name for themselves is whether they can maintain their form in the demanding conditions of the IPL.
Due to an injury, Deepak Chahar was limited to only eight matches for CSK in the previous season. His performance during that time was not up to par, as he gave away 8.59 runs per over and only managed to take five wickets. However, with the upcoming games being held at Wankhede Stadium, where the conditions favor his pace and swing, he is expected to have a better chance of success than at M Chidambaram Stadium. In light of Bumrah’s absence due to injury, it will be crucial for MI to keep Chahar fit and rely on him for wickets in the powerplay throughout the season.
During the last four seasons, MI has only made it to the playoffs once, specifically in 2023. Meanwhile, they have placed at the bottom twice, in 2022 and 2024.
Heading into the IPL, Suryakumar’s T20 performance has been less than ideal. Prior to this tournament, he faced a disappointing run with scores of 2, 0, 14, 12 and 0 against England earlier this year. Even before that, in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, his strike rate was mediocre at only 132.
Boult earned the title of Player of the Final for MI Cape Town, leading them to victory in the SA20 tournament. Throughout the league, he captured a total of 11 wickets and maintained a steady economy rate of 6.94. Mujeeb, who previously played for Paarl Royals but now represents MI in the IPL, proved to be a formidable opponent with 14 wickets and an economy rate of 6.77 in the SA20.
Bumrah has been dealing with back issues since wrapping up India’s tour of Australia in January. As a result, he was absent from the Champions Trophy and had to undergo rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. It has now been revealed that he will not be able to participate in MI’s initial matches but is expected to join the team in April. The management of his work schedule by BCCI and MI ahead of the five-Test series against England in June-July is crucial. In other news, Bosch has replaced Lizaad Williams and Mujeeb has replaced AM Ghazanfar due to injuries for MI.
