IPL 2019: Ideal batting line-up for Mumbai Indians

Modified Feb 19, 2019 11:04 IST

The Mumbai Indians have been the team to watch out for in the IPL for quite a few seasons now. The team has flourished under the able leadership of Rohit Sharma who has led them to 3 IPL titles, in 2013, 2015 and 2017.

Batting has always been Mumbai's strength. Batting first on the flat Wankhede pitch and putting up a huge total has worked brilliantly for the Mumbai Indians in their years of IPL glory. This time around, they have a breathtaking batting line-up and Rohit Sharma and co. have been left with problems of plenty.

In this article, we will take a look at the ideal Top 7 combination for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2019.

#1 Quinton de Kock

The Mumbai Indians have to choose between Evin Lewis and Quinton de Kock at the top to open the innings. They tried Evin Lewis and Suryakumar Yadav last season which worked fairly well for them. However, this year, after acquiring de Kock, it will be hard to leave out the South African wicket-keeper batsman.

De Kock brings in a blend of explosiveness and stability to the batting which will make Mumbai's top order look solid, something which has been missing since they let go of Lendl Simmons.

#2 Rohit Sharma

There is no reason why Rohit Sharma should not be opening the innings for the men in blue and gold in IPL 2019. In the past few seasons, Rohit has been uncharacteristically batting down the order in the IPL to absorb the pressure. However, this time around, the opening slot seems ideal for Rohit.

Opening the innings will give him plenty of time to get his eye in. He can easily kick on to get a big score once he is set. However, if Rohit fails at the top, the Mumbai Indians' middle-order is still strong enough to propel the side to a total of more than 200.

#3 Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav was a revelation for the Mumbai Indians at the top in their forgettable 2018 season. In a season where most of the MI batsmen including skipper Rohit Sharma failed to put runs on the board, Suryakumar notched up more than 500 runs alone.

This time around though, he should bat at No.3 to allow Rohit Sharma to open in the best interests of the team. Suryakumar has certainly got the game to pace his innings in the middle order.

#4 Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan's 2018 season was full of unfulfilled promises. The young gun has serious talent but ended up throwing his wicket away most of the times playing reckless shots. In the end, his 2018 season turned out to be just par and not spectacular.

The Mumbai Indians will have to choose between Ishan Kishan and Yuvraj Singh for the No.4 slot. Considering that Yuvraj is in the twilight of his career and hasn't played competitive cricket for a long time, Kishan becomes the hot contender.

However, Kishan will have to be measured in his approach in 2019 as Mumbai Indians will not hesitate to bring in Yuvraj if the former throws away some good starts.

#5 Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya has emerged as a vital cog in the Mumbai Indians team because of his all-round skills. The Baroda superstar is the ideal candidate when it comes to accelerating in the death overs and the No. 5 position is ideal for him.

Mumbai Indians can even float Hardik Pandya to No.4 or above depending upon the situation. At his best, Hardik can strike the ball as cleanly as anyone.

#6 Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya has made giant strides in his international career and has almost cemented his place in India's T20I team on the back of some noteworthy performances. Krunal is capable of scoring at a scintillating pace, just like his brother Hardik.

He can be used as a floater in this line-up and can come up the order to maintain a left-right hand combination or to take on leg-spinners or left arm off-spinners who turn the ball in.

#7 Ben Cutting

The Mumbai Indians will have to choose between Kieron Pollard and Ben Cutting for the slot of the fast bowling all-rounder. Currently, Ben Cutting seems to be a better choice than Pollard.

Cutting had a decent season for the MI in 2018 which led to his retention. Moreover, Pollard has been woefully out of form of late which doesn't help his cause. In addition, Cutting is more reliable as a bowler than Pollard which gives him an edge over the Trinidadian.

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