Mumbai Indians are one of the top franchises in the IPL with the joint-most titles. Rohit Sharma's team start their campaign against the Delhi Capitals on March 24. Having finished fifth in the points table last season, they will be looking to make amends this time around.
Finishing in the top four would be their first priority before they train their sights on a coveted fourth IPL title.
Are they capable of adding another trophy to their cabinet? Let's have a look at the strengths and weaknesses of the squad:
Squad:
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Krunal Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Yuvraj Singh, Suryakumar Yadav, Mayank Markande, Rahul Chahar, Anukul Roy, Siddhesh Lad, Aditya Tare, Quinton de Kock, Kieron Pollard, Evin Lewis, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne, Lasith Malinga, Barinder Sran, Pankaj Jaswal, Rasikh Dar, Anmolpreet Singh, Jason Behrendorff
Support Staff
Zaheer Khan- Director of cricket operations
Mahela Jayawardene- Head coach
Paras Mhambrey- Assistant coach
Robin Singh- Batting coach
Shane Bond- Bowling coach
James Pamment-Fielding coach
Rahul Sanghvi- Team manager
Sachin Tendulkar- Batting mentor
Strengths:
Mumbai Indians have a solid batting line-up, from Rohit Sharma upfront to Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and the Pandya brothers in the middle order. Evin Lewis and Kieron Pollard add the extra flair to the batting.
With the addition of Quinton de Kock and Yuvraj Singh, they appear to be one of the best batting sides in this year's edition.
Rohit Sharma will rely heavily on his bowlers to win games. The attack will be led by the world's no. 1 T20 bowler Jasprit Bumrah.
Mayank Markande who recently won his first cap for India will also be expected to deliver.
Question Marks:
It's a star-studded team on paper but the form of many players is a bit of a concern. Pollard hasn't been firing for them in recent editions.
Yuvraj Singh hasn't been playing competitive cricket for some time now and may hamper their chances by taking time to settle down in the middle.
The unit will have to stay at the top of their game throughout to ensure that there is no loss of momentum.
Relying heavily on a few players may backfire as Bumrah may be given some rest with the upcoming World Cup in mind.
Mayank Markande though talented is still young and any injury to him or Krunal Pandya can weaken the spin bowling attack.
Prediction:
We can never write Mumbai Indians off. They need to win games early and maintain their position in the top four. They look like a formidable side and can go the distance if they remain consistent throughout the tournament.
Best XI:
Rohit Sharma (C), Quinton De Kock (F), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard (F), Ben Cutting (F), Mitchell McClenaghan (F), Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Markande
MI's fixtures:
24 March: MI vs DC
28 March - RCB vs MI
30 March - KXIP vs MI
3 April - MI vs CSK
6 April - SRH vs MI
10 April - MI vs KXIP
13 April - MI vs RR
15 April - MI vs RCB
18 April - DC vs MI
20 April - RR vs MI
26 April - CSK vs MI
28 April - KKR vs MI
2 May - MI vs SRH
5 May - MI vs KKR
History:
2008: 5th
2009: 7th
2010: 2nd
2011: 3rd
2012: 4th
2013: Winner
2014: 4th
2015: Winner
2016: 5th
2017: Winner
2018: 5th