Let's look at the four Mumbai Indians players who could shine in the tournament.
In less than three weeks, the Champions Trophy is all set to roll with some of the best cricket players in the world. Given that the tournament has eight top teams, competition is going to be fierce since every team boasts star players waiting to prove their worth.
Of them, many have been a part of the Indian Premier League teams as well, including players from Mumbai Indians.
So, let’s look at the four Mumbai Indians players who could shine in the tournament.
Jasprit Bumrah has been India’s top bowler of the last calendar year and recently received the honour of Men’s Cricketer of the Year. He contributed immensely in Border-Gavaskar Trophy where he took 32 wickets in nine innings. White-ball cricket, too, witnessed the same effectiveness from him: he took 20 wickets in 11 games in the 2023 ODI World Cup and picked 15 wickets in eight innings during the 2024 T20 World Cup.
However, India’s primary concern is that Bumrah might not be fit enough to play the Champions Trophy, as he suffered a back injury in the BGT series. Being one of the main players of India, his comeback even during the latter stages of the tournament would be an asset for them.
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Indian captain Rohit Sharma has underperformed in red-ball cricket, but he has been fantastic in the last two years of white-ball cricket. In the ODI World Cup 2023, he remained the second-highest run-scorer with 597 runs from 11 matches at an average of 54.27 and a strike rate of 125.94. Then, in the T20 World Cup 2024, Rohit scored 257 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 156.70.
Rohit has changed his white-ball batting approach, and he has been playing an aggressive game that gives the team quick starts. In the Champions Trophy, he is likely to continue this attacking approach and make a big impact for India.
Hardik Pandya has been a valuable performer in white-ball cricket for India over the last two-three years. Injury forced him out of the 2023 World Cup.
He did play a significant part in India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup, especially in the final when he defended 16 runs in the last over to win the trophy. In the tournament, he managed to take 11 wickets in 8 matches and even scored 144 runs. For the team, his all-round ability has been important, and India will surely be hoping that he will replicate the same here in the upcoming Champions Trophy.
Afghan teenage spinner Allah Ghazanfar has made an impressive start to his career. In 11 ODIs, he has taken 21 wickets at an economy rate of 4.05 and best figures of 6/26. In T20s, he has claimed 30 wickets in 19 matches at an economy rate of 6.12 and best of 4/12.
He played a crucial role in Afghanistan’s ODI series win against South Africa in September 2024. His performances have been so outstanding that Afghanistan dropped Mujeeb Ur Rahman from their Champions Trophy squad to make room for him. With many teams yet to face him, Ghazanfar could be a major threat to batters in the upcoming tournament.
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