IPL 2016 Predicted XI Mumbai Indians

They are fearless, they can crush any teams’ hope at the very last moment, and nothing is impossible for them. Yes, we are talking about Mumbai Indians (MI), and their past Indian Premier League (IPL) outings have proven all of that.

The defending champions form a formidable attack with dangerous all-rounders like Kieron Pollard and Corey Anderson. That is well complemented by the hard-hitting top order batsmen like captain Rohit Sharma and Lendl Simmons whilst the experience of Harbhajan Singh adds to the bowling arsenal which also includes the likes Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah.

England’s Jos Buttler has joined the team but securing a place in the playing XI will be a task for the wicket-keeper batsman as the Indians already have foreign players fighting for their spot.

In short, we can say that Mumbai Indians are a perfectly cooked Twenty20 side. They have won the IPL twice and will be pushing hard again this time to make it three in four years.

The blue army had trouble in their initial seasons, but once their rise started they became a formidable side, learning from their mistakes and tightening up their weaknesses. They were rewarded for their efforts in 2013 with the trophy in the sixth season of the tournament.

The Mumbai Indians were driven by Sachin Tendulkar’s sheer class, and now they have him as a mentor in their roster, so that factor still remains. The most successful Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, was announced as the head coach before the last season.

Here, based on the past and current form of the players, we put forward the likely XI that will try to bring back the IPL trophy home for the Mumbai Indians.

Lendl Simmons

The Windies team’s top order batsman might start again for the Mumbai Indians like last season where he was brought in as a replacement for Aaron Finch. He proved his worth without taking much time that he was indeed here for some serious business. His consistency was one of the biggest factors that brought the Mumbai Indians their second title.

Simmons averages 49.15 with 934 runs in his pocket from 21 matches he played in the IPL. He has 9 half centuries and 1 century to his name. The Trinidadian cricketer add stability at the top without any trouble on the run rate.

Parthiv Patel

Parthiv Patel, the RCB import, is not only an explosive batsman but also one of the best wicket-keepers in the IPL. His addition to the team’s top order will be a huge plus point for the Mumbai Indians. Good things come in small packets and Parthiv Patel truly epitomises that.

His quick scoring ability always gives his team the confidence to build or chase a competitive score. Many might say he is the perfect partner for Lendl Simmons at the top as both know their game and are well experienced with the team now.

Rohit Sharma

Skipper Rohit Sharma is the second highest run-getter (3,385) in IPL’s history after Gujarat Lions’ Suresh Raina. There’s no doubt that he is a match winner and can change the game on his day.

The Mumbaikar knows how important a dynamic start is to create and build a free platform for his destructive middle order. And that is what he might concentrate the most on. Mumbai Indians take their game a notch higher while playing at home and Rohit knows how to take advantage of that.

Ambati Rayudu

Ambati Rayadu is one of the most consistent batsmen in recent times in the IPL. He has scored 1991 runs in the 96 matches he has played. Since the beginning of his IPL career, this Hyderabadi batsman has been playing for Mumbai Indians.

An occasional wicket-keeper, Rayudu is a spirited and energetic player and his ability to bat at any position makes him valuable to the team.

Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler's recent exploits with the bat for England has earned him the reputation of a dangerous hitter. He'll be the second wicket-keeper after Parthiv Patel in the Mumbai Indians team.

The Englishman has played 48 T20Is, scoring 839 runs at a strike rate of 140.30. Head coach Ricky Ponting is already excited to have him on board and wants him to perform the way he has been for England.

Corey Anderson

Corey Anderson was the hero for the Mumbai Indians in the 2014 IPL season. His memorable innings against Rajasthan Royals, when he blasted 95 runs off a mere 44 balls to help Mumbai qualify for the knock-outs is etched in the memories of all IPL lovers.

The Kiwi will be the player to look out for in the Mumbai Indians’ squad. The 25-year-old can be equally good with the ball with his medium pace deliveries scathing through the opposition’s middle order.

Kieron Pollard

The ultimate T20 player, Kieron Pollard can bat, bowl and is a superb fielder. His all-round abilities are always an advantage to his side. And after the addition of Corey Anderson in a team that already contained the hard hitting West Indian, the Mumbai Indians’ middle order has become even more power packed.

The West Indian is another match winner for Mumbai who can smash almost every bowler in the world from the get go. He is a believer of no mercy when in a position to attack. The 26-year-old has played more 20 overs cricket (266 matches) than any other format and carries ample experience to ruin the opposition team’s party.

Jagadeesha Suchith

Mumbai have unearthed many talented youngsters With an active talent-hunt programme and J Suchith is one of them. The Mysore-born cricketer plays for Karnataka Ranji and has been impressive for the Mumbai Indians in the past.

He is a left-handed batsman and a slow left-arm orthodox bowler. His handy spell between the slog overs always trouble the batsmen. With the bat, he boasts of a strike-rate of 150 and is never shy from hitting bowlers out of the park.

Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya is no more a local lad from Baroda, he is climbing new heights with every match he is playing. In fact, his destructive all-rounder nature has helped Mumbai Indians in the past and is doing the same for the national side.

The 22-year-old with the strike-rate of 180.64 in the IPL will certainly be handy down the order. Pandya’s quick deliveries are often helpful in breaking good partnerships and turning the table. Pandya has a lot to look forward to now as he has gained a good amount of international experience compared to many other players in Mumbai Indians side.

Harbhajan Singh

The ‘Turbanator’ Harbhajan Singh is still relatively young and continues to come up with splendid bowling spells in T20 cricket. He has shown that he can be explosive with the bat as well when needed. This 35-year-old veteran bowler can be a death over specialist with his cunning off-spinners, doosras and faster ones the batsmen.

Harbhajan’s experience adds plenty of value to the team which has been on a roller-coaster ride since the first season. And he will want to make this season again a memorable one, like the ones he had in 2013 and 2015 where Mumbai won the IPL.

Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah got selected for the Indian cricket team for the 2016 Australian tour as a replacement for the injured Bhuvaneshwar Kumar. The call-up mainly came because of his couple of impressive IPL and domestic league seasons. His yorkers in the death overs make him lethal enough to bring his team home in the end.

His impressive spells in the international T20s were acknowledged by everyone in the cricket fraternity. The Ahmedabad-born fast bowler will be looking to bring his international cricket experience into account for the Mumbai Indians now.

The 22-year-old also grabbed eyeballs with his slingy action that troubled many batsmen. He has taken 19 wickets from the 16 matches he has played for India at an average of 20.84 in the T20Is.

Back up: Nathu Singh