IPL 2020: 3 reasons why Mumbai Indians are favourites to lift the title

With IPL 2020 slated to begin late in March, the player auctions on the 19th December witnessed quite a few players ending up with lucrative contracts, while a couple of steal buys headlined the discussions at the end of the proceedings.

Defending champions Mumbai Indians went into the auctions with a relatively small purse, having retained a major chunk of their squad from IPL 2019. MI did sign some key players in Australian duo Chris Lynn and Nathan Coulter-Nile, apart from adding some experience to their middle order with the signing of Saurabh Tiwary.

Having added more depth and quality to the team from the auctions, the defending champions will walk into the new season brimming with confidence and could be labelled as the early favourites to clinch the title.

On that note, here are three reasons why the Mumbai Indians appear as one of the strongest teams on paper ahead of IPL 2020.

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#3 Quality of core players

Mumbai have one of the strongest Indian core players

The biggest strength of the Mumbai Indians lies in their very strong core of Indian players. Captained by Rohit Sharma, who is not only the most successful captains in the history of the IPL but also one of the finest batsman the country has ever produced, MI have a top leader who leads by example.

Along with Rohit Sharma, Mumbai boast of arguably the best death bowler in the world at the moment in Jasprit Bumrah. On his day, Bumrah is almost unplayable and his unorthodox action makes it even tough for the batsman to pick his deliveries. In the IPL 2019 final, Bumrah bowled 4 overs and conceded just 14 runs and helped Mumbai win the title.

Also see – BPL Most Runs

Apart from Rohit and Bumrah, MI also have the presence of premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the side, who with his pyrotechnics with the bat and craftiness with the ball adds an extra dimension to the side.

There is no doubt that Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Japrit Bumrah are among the best of talents that the country has to offer, and with three of them forming the core of players at the Mumbai Indians, there is no doubt that the defending champions wear a strong look ahead of the upcoming season.

#2 The right mixture of youth and experience

Rahul Chahar (middle) is one of the youngest players in the side

Mumbai Indians have always been known to hand young and upcoming players the right platform to flourish. They have produced and nurtured the likes of Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah, who have proven their worth to the side in the previous editions of the IPL.

With the likes of Ishan Kishan, Rahul Chahar among other youngsters also keen to make a big impact for MI, the squad does have a fair share of exciting young players but also hosts some experienced stars such as Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga to name a few. The IPL is a long tournament and involves facing the best in the business, and the experience added to the side is undoubtedly a big plus.

In Rohit Sharma and Lasith Malinga, who have played more than 250 IPL games combined and the trio of Hardik, Bumrah and Krunal, three players who have quite a lot of experience, MI will bank on the big names and the youngsters to tackle the challenges that lie ahead of them.

#1 Utility buys in the auction

Mumbai Indians had a very satisfactory IPL auction

Over the years, cricket experts and pundits have emphasized on the fact that a good auction is a key to winning the tournament. MI certainly did not have to work too hard at the auction as they needed to fill only a few slots, and safe to say, they signed some quality players who will undoubtedly add a lot of value to the side.

The defending champions signed Australian batsman Chris Lynn for just ₹2 Cr, and the explosive opener will provide a very aggressive option at the top of the order alongside Quinton De Kock or Rohit Sharma.

MI also roped in Australian fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile for ₹8 Cr, and while Coulter-Nile adds some depth to MI's battery of pace bowlers, he is more than capable of using the long handle to good effect in the death overs.

Apart from their two foreign recruits, MI also landed the final bid for the services of southpaw Saurabh Tiwary. Tiwary has played for MI in the past and will add a lot of quality to Mumbai's middle order.