Mumbai Indians may well be called the ‘chokers’ in the IPL. They had the chance to make it to the semis in both the editions; instead they lost the script in the closing stages of the tournament. To say that it was bad luck would be unfair. The simple fact is that Mumbai lost their nerves just when they needed them. They may not have had as good a side as Chennai or Delhi, but they had enough quality to atleast make it to the semis. They had the right mix of players, the right combination of youth and experience, but what they lacked was the killer punch; the final burst that separates the good from the great. This will probably be the last chance for many legends in this team to win a major trophy in the newest format of the game.
Let’s see whether they have the team for it this year.
Batting
The biggest advantage for Mumbai is that Sachin Tendulkar is in good form and injury free this season. What’s more, he seems to be enjoying his batting better than ever before and not just thinking about the consequences should he get out early. Sanath Jayasuriya, on the other hand, seems to be treading on the edge of a knife. His form in the past 18 months has been anything but encouraging; not to mention his performance in IPL 2. As an alternative, Mumbai might consider trying out Shikhar Dhawan or Graham Napier; who has the reputation of being a big hitter of the ball and is a useful medium pacer. The number three position can be manned by JP Duminy or Abhishek Nayar. Nayar has made some very useful contributions to the Mumbai total in the last two editions. And the best way to make use of his full potential will be to bat him higher up the order. Duminy on the other hand, is going through a torrid time with the bat. And his recent troubles against spin means that he needs to come up the order so that he will be well settled before the spinners come on. Shikhar Dhawan will be manning the middle order along with Ambati Rayadu, Saurabh Tiwary, or Rajagopal Sathish. Ambati Rayadu was touted as one of India’s next superstars, but a switch to ICL saw his career getting derailed. After getting pardon from BCCI, this will be his first major tournament, and a chance to prove that he can still fulfill the promise that he holds. Rajagopal Sathish is another player who’s returning from the ICL. And his record in ICL suggests that he will be a valuable batsman to have in the middle order. A member of the U19 World Cup winning squad, Saurabh Tiwary has shown a lot of promise with his performances in the domestic arena. Though he hasn’t been able to show the same kind of form in IPL, it will be too early to write off this 20-year old. Then come the all-rounders; Dwayne Bravo, Ryan McLaren, and Kieron Pollard. Dwayne Bravo was injured for the last few months, but he’s making a comeback against the Zimbabweans. This will give Mumbai a fair idea as to his fitness and form. Ryan McLaren has just made his debut in all three forms of the game in the last four months and has done reasonably well. He will be keen to do well here to remain in contention in the South African side for the next world cup which is taking place in the sub-continent. Pollard is the season’s biggest buy for Mumbai and comes with quite a reputation. Whether he lives up to that reputation remains to be seen. Another allrounder joining one of these three will be Dhawal Kulkarni. The youngster has grown as a player in the last season and will be looking to make more contributions with his bat. Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan are capable of clearing the ropes in the final overs.
Bowling
Like the batting, Mumbai’s bowling looks pretty threatening too. Dilhara Fernando and Lasith Malinga are well known for their exploits in T20 cricket. Harbhajan Singh has been Mumbai’s best bowler over the last two editions of IPL, whereas Zaheer has been India’s best bowler, and one of world’s best left-armer, over the last two years. The only worry for India will be the injury that Zaheer picked up during the series against South Africa. The support cast too looks good for Mumbai. Pollard has been bowling well for West Indies and has kept the pressure on the batsmen in the middle overs. Dwayne Bravo has enough variations to keep the batsman guessing and so does Dhawal Kulkarni. What’s more, these two are capable of picking up wickets consistently. McLaren and Napier have been picked up on reputations and recommendations. It’s hard to tell at this stage how well they will perform. The spin department will be taken care of by Jayasuriya, Duminy, Nayar. Jayasuriya may not be at his best with the bat, but, given his vast experience, he can be a handful on the Indian pitches. The focal point of the bowling though will be Harbhajan; and the way he bowls. Given the lack of quality in the spin department – and the fact that the IPL is in India this time – he needs to step up and shed his image as a defensive bowler. He needs to assume the mantle of a wicket-taking spinner rather than a run-saving one. If he can achieve that, then Mumbai’s bowling will definitely have the much needed edge.
Fielding
Mumbai may not count among the most dynamic fielding side in the tournament; despite the presence of Jonty Rhodes, but they certainly are a safe fielding side. They won’t give two runs where there’s only one. But then T20 isn’t about that, it’s about giving away just a single where there may be three. And this is where Mumbai may struggle. Another worry for them is the wicket-keeper. Both the ‘keepers – Chandan Madan and Aditya Tare – are relative unknowns. Clearly, the Mumbai think tank has under estimated the importance of a good wicket keeper batsman. And this may hurt them a lot when it comes to the balance of the team.
Final Verdict
Like in the previous two editions, Mumbai have a team that can take them to the semis. Once there, they will require some mastery from the Little Master to make sure that they win. As mentioned earlier, the lack of a good wicket keeper batsman may hurt them. But this tournament has been a launch pad for many an unknown faces, and the two gentlemen donning the ‘keeper gloves have as good a chance as any one before them had.
One just gets the feeling though, that more than the fielding, lack of good wicket keeper batsman, or any other player, the important obstacle between Mumbai and glory will be their nerve. The Mumbai Ranji Trophy team is known for its khadoos attitude that has seen them through thick and thin. Maybe, this side needs to draw upon that attitude to put the past failures beyond them.
Mumbai Indians’ squad
| Sachin Tendulkar | Harbhajan Singh | Aditya Tare |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | Zaheer Khan | Graham Napier |
| Abhishek Nayar | Lasith Malinga | Ishan Malhotra |
| JP Duminy | Dwayne Bravo | Ryan McLaren |
| Shikhar Dhawan | Dilhara Fernando | Murtaza Ali |
| Kieron Pollard | Ambati Rayadu | Rahul Shukla |
| Dhaval Kulkarni | Saurabh Tiwari | Syed Shahbuddin |
| Chandan Madan | Rajagopal Sathish | |
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