The most successful Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Mumbai Indians (MI) will be reading into the upcoming edition of the cash-rich league as the defending champions. There is no denying the fact that they are not only a good team on paper but also extremely strong in the field. Now, they will be eyeing to win consecutive crowns under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma as they are hot favorite ahead of IPL 2020.

With their training sessions ahead of IPL 2020 in full swing, here we make an attempt of analyzing the MI squad and have a look how it shapes up for the much-awaited return of top-level cricket. Here are the strengths and weaknesses of the Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2020.

Mumbai Indians – Strengths

#1 Heavy Top order 

MI has always been known for having a solid top order, but it got bolstered further with the inclusion of Chris Lynn. The destructive opener can be expected to open teh innings with the South African wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock. The De Kock-Lynn opening combination can be as lethal as it can get followed by Rohit Sharma – to No. 3. Even though the skipper is coming in at the fall of a wicket, MI arguably has the best top-order among all teams in IPL 2020.

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With Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan are feasible No. 4 options, MI could win most of their games in the first phase of their batting innings.

#2 Good Indian players

There is no denying the fact that Mumbai Indians have the most capped Indian players in their squad which also includes the likes of Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya. Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan have also had sufficient IPL experience, leading to MI having a sizeable part of their playing XI fixed already. With experimentation limited to the overseas slots, MI is expected to have the most balanced squad.

#3 World-class all-rounders

MI’s strongest playing XI for IPL 2020 has enviable balance, as they have one of the best all-rounders in their team.  In the Pandya brothers and Kieron Pollard, Rohit Sharma can bank upon three world-class all-rounders who have always contributed in all teh departments. Although the West Indian hasn’t bowled very frequently in the IPL in recent times, he was seen bowling some crucial overs in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL) as captain of the Trinbago Knight Riders.

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Nathan Coulter-Nile, who was MI’s most expensive buy in the IPL 2020 auction, along with West Indian Sherfane Rutherford who was traded in, are quality back-ups even if they don’t get to play a single game. 

Mumbai Indians – Weaknesses

#1 Spin department

With the slow pitches in UAE, the biggest disadvantage MI has that they have a lose spin department and it can be exploited by quality players of spin. Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya are expected to be the only two spinners in the XI, and both are defensive bowlers, who aren’t known for taking wickets. MI lacks in a spinner who depends on a flight rather than Krunal and Chahar. MI’s lack of depth in the spin department might cost them the playoffs in IPL 2020.

#2 No backups in the pace attack 

Barring Indian seamer, Jasprit Bumrah, MI’s pace attack looks weak on paper. Trent Boult, who has an economy rate of 8.78 over the course of his IPL career, played only 5 games last season. Even teh new recruits, Nathan Coulter-Nile hasn’t played a single game in the last two IPL seasons, and if he manages to make it into the playing XI, he can be toyed by the skilled batsmen. 

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Dhawal Kulkarni is the only other quality Indian option, but he had an economy rate of over 9 in all the previous three IPL seasons with only 13 wickets to show for. Pattinson, who is Malinga’s replacement, hasn’t proven himself in the T20 format as well.

MI Squad for IPL 2020

Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Kieran Pollard, Quinton de Kock, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah, James Pattinson, Krunal Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Anmolpreet Singh, Trent Boult (Transferred), Rahul Chahar, Ishan Kishan, Anukul Roy, Dhawal Kulkarni (Transferred), Aditya Tare, Sherfane Rutherford (Transferred), Jayant Yadav, Chris Lynn, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Saurabh Tiwary, Mohsin Khan, Digvijay Deshmukh, Prince Balwant Rai