How will Mumbai Indians' playing XI look like in IPL 7?

Just one more day until the IPL 7 begins. For students like me, it’s one of the most exciting things I look forward to every summer.

Here’s a predicted playing XI for Mumbai Indians this season:

Rohit Sharma (Captain) (With MI since 2011. Previous franchises: DC)

Rohit Sharma

A double IPL winner (2009 Deccan Chargers, 2013 Mumbai Indians), Rohit Sharma has proven to be one of the most effective players in the shortest format of the game. Last season, a couple of games into the tournament, Rohit Sharma took over the teams’ captaincy and led Mumbai to their maiden IPL title. Another trophy got added to Rohit Sharma’s cabinet a few months later, when he led Mumbai Indians to their second CLT20 crown. Here are a few of his stats in the IPL :-

Overall - Matches: 97, Runs: 2513, Strike Rate: 129.66, Average: 32.63, Highest Score: 109*

Last Season - Matches: 19, Runs: 538, Strike Rate: 131.54, Average: 38.42, Highest Score: 79*

Michael Hussey (Yet to play for MI. Previous franchises: CSK)

Michael Hussey

The mainstay of Chennai Super Kings’s batting since many years, Michael Hussey will be hoping to replicate his IPL form for Mumbai Indians. The Aussie veteran has already won the IPL and CLT20 crown with CSK in 2010. His average of 52.35 last season just goes to show the consistency Hussey still has in himself even at 38. Here are a few of his stats in the IPL:

Overall - Matches: 46, Runs: 1691, Strike Rate: 124.33, Average: 44.50, Highest Score: 116*

Last Season - Matches: 17, Runs: 733, Strike Rate: 129.50, Average: 52.35, Highest Score: 95

Ambati Rayudu (With MI since 2010)

Ambati Rayudu

Rayudu impressed in his debut season with MI, scoring 356 runs in 14 matches with a strike rate of 144.71. Due to this, he was retained for the next three seasons as well and continued to impress. Last season wasn’t as eventful for him as he went through the entire tournament without a half century, with a high score of just 37. However, he still remains first choice wicket keeper for the side. Here are a few of Rayudu’s IPL stats:

Overall - Matches: 66, Runs: 1349, Strike Rate: 125.02, Average: 26.98, Highest Score: 81*

Last Season - Matches: 19, Runs: 265, Strike Rate: 114.71, Average: 18.92, Highest Score: 37

Aditya Tare (With MI since 2010)

Aditya Tare

Even though Tare has been with MI since 2010, he has been in and out of the side due to the bigger names in the dressing room. The exit of batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik means Tare will see more opportunities coming his way this season. He may not be having the best average, but he has an excellent strike rate and that’s what matters in t20 games. Here are his IPL stats:

Overall - Matches: 12, Runs: 173, Strike Rate: 144.16, Average: 19.22, Highest Score: 59

Last Season - Matches: 5, Runs: 123, Strike Rate: 146.42, Average: 24.60, Highest Score: 59

CM Gautam (Yet to play for MI. Previous Franchises: DD, RCB)

CM Gautam

Another inexperienced name in MI’s lineup, CM Gautam is however, no stranger to the T20 format. He plays for Karnataka in the domestic cricket front. He was with RCB for a few years in the beginning but didn’t play a game for them. Last season with DD was when CM Gautam got his breakthrough, playing three games for them. Here are his overall T20 stats:

Matches: 21, Innings: 17, Runs: 235, Strike Rate: 107.30, Average: 18.07, Highest Score: 53*

Corey Anderson (Yet to make his IPL debut)

Corey Anderson

In 2007, Corey Anderson became the youngest New Zealander to be given a national contract. However, he first caught the world’s eye on 1st January, 2014, when he hit the fastest ODI century off just 36 balls, beating the record of 37 deliveries set by Shahid Afridi 17 years back.

Corey Anderson eventually went on to make an unbeaten 131 off 47 balls in that game. It didn’t turn out to be a one off performance as Corey Anderson impressed in the forthcoming India’s tour of New Zealand series. In the first three games he played, Corey Anderson scored 120 runs, taking 10 wickets in the process. He is surely one big gun to watch out for this IPL. Here are his T20 stats:

Batting: Matches: 37, Innings: 25, Runs: 318, Strike Rate: 128.22, Average: 14.45, Highest Score: 44

Bowling: Matches: 37, Innings: 15, Runs Conceded: 343, Economy: 7.97, Average: 31.18, Wickets: 11, Best: 2/21

Kieron Pollard (With MI since 2010)

Kieron Pollard

Another of the big guns to watch out this IPL, Pollard is one of the most complete T20 players. He announced his arrival in the inaugural edition of the CLT20 (2009), playing for Trinidad and Tobago (T&T). These performances caught the eye of many IPL franchises, but it was MI who snapped him up and he didn’t disappoint in the IPL either.

Even if he fails to perform with the bat and ball, he makes it up with his sublime fielding. I remember, last season at the Wankhede against KXIP, the catch he took at the boundary was by far the best I’ve seen. I was about 20 meters away from him and it seemed like as if time stood still. Total dedication! Here are Pollard’s IPL stats :-

Overall -

Batting: Matches: 62, Runs: 1059, Strike Rate: 147.08, Average: 25.82, Highest Score: 66*

Bowling: Matches: 62, Runs Conceded: 1277, Economy: 8.27, Average: 25.03, Wickets: 51, Best: 4/44

Last Season -

Batting: Matches: 18, Runs: 420, Strike Rate: 149.46, Average: 42, Highest Score: 66*

Bowling: Matches: 18, Runs Conceded: 292, Economy: 9.41, Average: 29.20, Wickets: 10, Best: 2/6

Harbhajan Singh (With MI since 2008)

Harbhajan Singh

Bhajji has been an integral part of MI since 2008, so much that it is very difficult to associate him with another franchise. 2011 was a year to remember for him. First the world cup victory with India and then a few months later, winning the CLT20 as MI captain. Besides being a top class spinner, the turbanator can hit a few balls out of the park as well. Here are a few of his stats:

Overall -

Batting: Matches: 82, Runs: 546, Strike Rate: 150.41, Average: 17.06, Highest Score: 49*

Bowling: Matches: 82, Runs Conceded: 1925, Economy: 6.76, Average: 24.67, Wickets: 78, Best: 5/18

Last Season -

Batting: Matches: 19, Runs: 116, Strike Rate: 146.83, Average: 19.33, Highest Score: 25*

Bowling: Matches: 19, Runs Conceded: 456, Economy: 6.51, Average: 19, Wickets: 24, Best: 3/14

Pragyan Ojha (With MI since 2012. Previous Franchises: DC)

Pragyan Ojha

The second of the spin twins, Pragyan Ojha has supported Harbhajan Singh well from the other end. He has already won the IPL with Deccan Chargers in 2009 and then won the Purple Cap (given to the leading wicket taker in an IPL season) the following season. Here are his IPL stats:

Overall -

Matches: 79, Runs Conceded: 1929, Economy: 7.18, Average: 22.69, Wickets: 85, Best: 3/11

Last season -

Matches: 16, Runs Conceded: 381, Economy: 7.28, Average: 23.81, Wickets: 16, Best: 3/11

Lasith Malinga (With MI since 2008)

IPL and Malinga didn’t get off on the right track as he missed the entire first season of the IPL due to a knee injury. Despite missing the first season, Malinga is still the leading wicket taker in the IPL with 103 wickets and despite bowling in the powerplay overs and in the death, Malinga still has a very economical economy rate of 6.54. With 28 wickets in the 2011 season of the IPL, Malinga won the Purple Cap. Here are his IPL stats:

Overall -

Matches: 73, Runs Conceded: 1849, Economy: 6.54, Average: 17.95, Wickets: 103, Best: 5/13

Last Season -

Matches: 17, Runs Conceded: 468, Economy: 7.16, Average: 23.40, Wickets: 20, Best: 3/39

Zaheer Khan (Keeps switching between RCB and MI)

Zaheer Khan

Zaheer Khan played for RCB in the inaugural season before moving to Mumbai Indians for two seasons. And while the Bangalore franchise bought him back in the 2011 IPL Player Auctions, Zak is back donning MI colours for this IPL season. Last season was very unfortunate for Zaheer Khan because of his injury which resulted in him playing only two games for Bangalore. However, in those two games he managed to take an eye catching five wickets.

Overall -

Matches: 64, Runs Conceded: 1830, Economy: 7.74, Average: 26.14, Wickets: 70, Best: 4/17

Last Season -

Matches: 2, Runs Conceded: 47, Economy: 7.83, Average: 9.40, Wickets: 5, Best: 4/17