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Five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Mumbai Indians (MI) had a decent campaign in the 2023 season. They finished fourth in the league stage, before losing to Gujarat Titans (GT) by 91 runs in the Qualifier 2.
In the 2024 season, MI will be led by Hardik Pandya, who captained the Titans in the last two seasons. Under Pandya's captaincy, the Gujarat-based franchise won the title in 2022 and emerged as runner-ups in 2023. Thus, the flamboyant all-rounder will look to continue his good record in the cash-rich league and help Mumbai lift their sixth title.
MI have a credible batting unit, spearheaded by Rohit Sharma, who has been in blistering form in the international circuit. He will have able support from Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, and Tim David. However, they traded Australian all-rounder Cameron Green to Royal Challengers Bangalore.
In the bowling department, Mumbai have Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Madhwal. Meanwhile, their overseas pacer, Jason Behrendorff was involved in an accident during training, and will miss the entire IPL 2024. The English pacer, Luke Wood has replaced him in the squad.
The Mumbai-based side acquired eight players in the IPL 2024 auction, including notable names like Mohammad Nabi and Gerald Coetzee. Below are the eight overseas players for MI in IPL 2024.
Overseas Players: Tim David, Dewald Brevis, Romario Shepherd, Gerald Coetzee, Dilshan Madushanka, Nuwan Thushara, Mohammad Nabi, Luke Wood
Ranking MI's 5 best overseas combinations for IPL 2024
#5 Tim David, Dewald Brevis, Nuwan Thushara, Dilshan Madushanka
Australian all-rounder Tim David is likely to be a regular overseas player in the MI's line-up due to his experience and recent performances in the T20I format. Along with him, the franchise can provide an opportunity to youngster Dewald Brevis, who did well in SA20 2024.
The Sri Lankan pacer, Nuwan Thushara recently picked up a five-wicket haul in a T20I game against Bangladesh, but will be a risky bet as he has yet to make his IPL debut. For the starters, Dilshan Madushanka has risen through the ranks to become a consistent wicket-taker for Sri Lanka.
#4 Tim David, Dilshan Madushanka, Gerald Coetzee, Luke Wood
This could be one of the worst overseas combinations for the Mumbai-based franchise, where they can be too reliant on the talents of overseas pacers.
Madushanka, along with Luke Wood, are left-arm pace bowling options, which can prove to be one-dimensional for the franchise.
Moreover, if MI play with Coetzee as the third pacer, they will have to sacrifice a spinner, which could not work in their favor.
#3 Tim David, Dilshan Madushanka, Mohammad Nabi, Romario Shepherd
This can be a slightly better combination for MI, with the inclusion of Mohammad Nabi. The Caribbean pacer, Romario Shepherd hasn't quite proved himself in the league, but is a credible option due to his abilities in both departments.
The introduction of Madushanka/Shepherd in the attack can force Pandya to bring in slower bowlers like Nabi/Chawla, which can curtail the momentum of batters.
#2 Tim David, Dewald Brevis, Luke Wood, Mohammad Nabi
With the presence of David and Brevis as two overseas players, MI would have options to bolster their batting/bowling attack with the other two selections. In this case, they can find a proper combination in form of Wood and Nabi.
Both players have reputation of securing wickets and keeping the batters quiet during their spells. Wood can offer a good pace in the middle-overs to trouble batters, while Nabi will be helpful with the old ball.
#1 Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Luke Wood, Mohammad Nabi
Already skipper Hardik Pandya and Tim David will be the power-hitters for MI in slog overs, they will need support from the lower-order. In this case, Nabi can use his long handle to good effect in the slog overs to finish well for the team. Also, the veteran can work well alongside Piyush Chawla to keep the batters in check.
With the presence of Shepherd and Wood, the team can bring variety into the attack. Certainly, this can well be the finest combination with adequate ammunition in both departments.
