Mumbai Indians have a great full-strength playing XI but will have to rejig in Jasprit Bumrah's absence.
Mumbai Indians (MI) will be desperate to get back to winning ways after enduring a difficult four-year period in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In the last four years, MI could reach the playoffs only once and were subjected to the wooden spoon twice.
The previous edition turned out to be a disaster for Mumbai Indians as they ended up last amidst internal rifts. IPL 2025 brings the five-time champions an opportunity to start over. Much like most of the other teams, their mega-auction performance wasn’t great. From their available player pool, we try to come up with their best possible playing XI in IPL 2025.
The above-playing XI will be Mumbai Indians’ best combination when everyone is fit. However, with Jasprit Bumrah missing a few games, MI will have to rejig their line-up.
Jasprit Bumrah is the biggest asset in world cricket and it is only natural his team’s plans could fall apart without him. The fast bowler is recovering from a back injury and is expected to join the MI squad in early April. They have to make sure they don’t fall too far behind before he is ready to go.
Mumbai Indians acquired a pretty solid first XI in the auction but their backups in the bowling department don’t inspire confidence. As a result, they have to fall back on their ‘two overseas pacers’ tactic. Reece Topley alongside Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar seems a better option than trying an inexperienced Indian pacer.
Going with two overseas pacers means Mumbai Indians have to sacrifice something else. They have to choose between the left-arm spin all-rounder Mitch Santner and an overseas batting spot in Will Jacks or Bevon Jacobs.
MI would be better off by giving up the latter. They have decent batting resources in the squad such as Robin Minz, Krishnan Shrijith, and Raj Bawa. They have enough firepower in the batting line-up so it would be wise to strengthen their bowling attack.
In a full-strength line-up, MI should bat Jacks down the order as it gives them a better balance. Or they could try Jacobs, who doesn’t have experience at this level but is more natural in the role.
Mumbai Indians could opt for a different combination, where they can use young domestic wicket-keeper Robin Minz at the top of the order. It could free up an overseas spot and allow them more room to manage their resources. But it would come at the cost of Ryan Rickelton.
The South African batter is in the form of his life. His ability to score at a great rate while being consistent makes him very valuable. In the last two SA20 seasons, Rickleton has smashed 866 runs at a strike rate of 175 while maintaining an average of 54. He has hit eight fifties in 18 innings. He has great range against pace and is pretty good against spin. Leaving him out under any circumstances would not be in their best interests.
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Karn Sharma has played for several franchises, including MI, and has good experience. The leg-spinner could be one of the top Impact Player options on the side. He offers a leg-break bowling option to partner with Santner’s left-arm orthodox spin.
Vignesh Puthur is yet to play any T20 games at a professional level. He was part of the Kerala Cricket League and was spotted by the MI scouts. The left-arm wrist spinner who can hit the ball big, Puthur can be a surprise Impact Player.
Raj Bawa is a seam-bowling all-rounder. Primarily a middle-order batter, Bawa can add dual value to the Mumbai Indians side. He picked up 12 wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and scored 171 runs at a strike rate of 136.
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