Five-time Champions Mumbai Team will be looking to make amends for the poor 2022 Indian Playerzpot League season. R. Sharma and co suffered a nightmare season finishing at the bottom of the league table. The Islanders had a hard time finding the best bowling formula for the side with pressure pilling on the shoulders of J. Bumrah, apart from T. Verma and S. Yadav Mumbai looked lost and disjointed.
The new season bringing a ray of new hope as the Blues will be looking to start the season with a positive approach. The franchise made sure they have all the necessary means in terms of players and had a decent auction. C. Green, J. Richardson, and P. Chawla were notable names that made their way into the team. Although, concern for Mumbai remains in their bowling department as J. Bumrah is ruled out with J. Archer hoping to lead the charge in his absence.
Mumbai does have a strong batting lineup that can fair against any side, but their Achilles heels is an untried and fairly new bowling attack. Taking all the factors into consideration, we have singled out a few individuals that could come with a clutch for the five-time champions this season.
Key Players from Mumbai Team
SK. Yadav: Mister dependable and arguably the best T20 batter out there, SK Yadav was a beacon of hope in what was an underwhelming season for the Mumbai side. Despite coming off the bat in the middle order he was the one who notched up the most number for his team, he scored 303 runs in 8 games last season with an average of 43.29. It goes without saying that he is an unorthodox player and will surprise us with his batting skills this season. Mumbai will be banking on him to do heavy damage with his bat as they have a lot of unfinished business.
C. Green: In a season where the team is in need of inspiration with the ball, Green does prove to be a good option. The young Australian all-rounder is known for his power-hitting abilities while at the same time can chip in well with the ball. However, the player does not have a lot of experience in the Indian subcontinent region which can prove to be an obstacle for him. Mumbai sure has plans for Green and that is why they shelled out INR 17.5 crore on him at the auction.
T. Verma: Another young gun who displayed his character and talent when his team needed him the most. Arguably the best Mumbai player from the last season, Verma was at the heart of anything good or positive going Mumbai’s way. The young batter has a sense of calm persona that does help him get a better outcome on the pitch. Mumbai sure strike a bargain when they bagged him during the 2021 auction for INR 1.7 crore, Verma was the second-highest run-getter for his side scoring 397 runs in 14 games and this season is a big opportunity for the youngster to stamp his mark on this team.
J. Archer: The most anticipated player whom the fans want to see in action for the Blues. The prospect of having a pace attack with the duo of J. Bumrah and J. Archer was nerve-wracking for the opposition but this season Archer will have to ride solo as Bumrah is out injured. Mumbai will be banking on Archer to lead the charge with his pace bowling and maybe he is the player that can make or break Mumbai’s season.
I. Kishan: Rounding off the young talented lineup from the Mumbai team is explosive batter I. Kishan. Despite the team firing blanks in the batting display, Kishan made sure that they have something to hold on to. He notched up 418 runs which made him the highest run-getter for his side. Being one the most expensive players in the league, this season there is ever so more expectations riding on his shoulders.
Full Mumbai Squad
Mumbai Team: R. Sharma [C], D. Brewis, SK. Yadav, I. Kishan, A. Tendulkar, H, Shokeen, J. Archer, A. Khan, T. Verma, R. Singh, T. David, J. Bumrah, C. Green, J. Richardson, K. Kartikeya, T. Stubs, P. Chawla, A. Madhwal, S. Mulani, J. Behrendorff, N. Wadhera, V. Vinod, R. Goyal, D. Jansen.
Predicted X1 for Mumbai Team
Mumbai X1: R. Sharma [C], I. Kishan [WK], T. Verma. SK. Yadav, T. David, C. Green, H. Shokeen, P. Chawla, K. Kartikeya, J. Archer, J. Behrendorf.
