IPL 2017: Know your team - Strengths, Weaknesses and Key Performance Indicators

Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians have an exceptional bowling line-up

Strength: Power hitting and bowling

With Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard, Jos Buttler and Krunal Pandya likely to bat in Mumbai’s top six and Lendl Simmons, Nicholas Pooran and Asela Gunaratne in reserve, Mumbai have one of the most powerful batting line-ups in the IPL.

If Mumbai maintain their historical preference for two overseas bowlers, their bowling line-up is also enviable: two of Lasith Malinga, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell McClenaghan and Tim Southee alongside Indian seamers Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, and Indian spinners Harbhajan Singh and Krunal Pandya, with Karn Sharma in reserve.

Weakness: Opening partnership

Mumbai’s principal area of weakness last season was at the top of the order: their Powerplay run rate of 6.74 was the second worst in the league and their average of 22.76 was the worst. They had five different opening pairings - more than any other team, and their average opening partnership of 16.07 was the lowest among all teams.

Mumbai signed no new players at the auction to partner Rohit and unless they lose an overseas bowler to accommodate Simmons at the top of the order Mumbai will have to choose from the same Indian crop as last year.

Key Performance Indicator: Batting powerplay

If Mumbai sort out their opening partnership problem they will be a formidable team. Too often last season, Mumbai’s strong, although one-dimensional middle and lower order, was put in unfamiliar situations and left with too much to do.