With five titles, Mumbai Indians (MI) are by far the most successful team not just in the Indian Premier League. However, they are currently going through a transition period due to two factors.
One of their stalwarts, Kieron Pollard, has retired, while Rohit Sharma is nearing the end of his career. Secondly, the mega-auction ahead of the 2022 season completely destroyed their star-studded squad.
Nonetheless, MI is slowly but surely creating a dangerous group that will challenge opponents in the coming years. On that topic, here are three players that might be the face of MI’s future generation:
1) Tilak Varma
Tilak Varma has settled in nicely with the Mumbai Indians during the previous several seasons. Varma has been an important component of the MI setup since his debut in 2022, scoring 671 runs at a terrific average of 39.47 and a good strike rate of 140.97.
Last season, he was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dreadful season for the team, which finished bottom in the standings. Another noteworthy truth is that Varma has performed a variety of characters with ease. He has been promoted and demoted several times but has always passed with flying colours.
Tilak’s performances have garnered him praise from fans and analysts alike, and many have predicted that he would play for India in all three forms in the future. The 20-year-old has a level head on his shoulders, which will serve him well in the future.
3) Tim David
Kieron Pollard is one of the first names that comes to mind when we think about Mumbai Indians. Pollard is a franchise legend, having won multiple games for the team over his tenure. He played in 189 IPL games with the franchise until retiring in November 2022. Finding a capable and long-term successor for the West Indian was always going to be tough for MI. But they have in Tim David someone who can accomplish what Pollard did for 12 years.
David has extensive experience in the T20 circuit, but as we all know, the IPL is a very different beast. However, the big man from Australia has demonstrated his class in this year’s IPL, winning a handful of games for MI with his finishing ability. This season, he has a strike rate of more than 165, which is extremely incredible. MI will regard him as someone who will be on the sidelines for a long period.
3) Cameron Green
Cameron Green’s name began to make the rounds even before he made his international debut for Australia, with many referring to him as a generational prospect. Green has lived up to his moniker with his top-tier performances. He was signed by the Mumbai Indians for a whopping 17.50 crore in the IPL auction in December.
That is a massive deal, and to be honest, he didn’t have fantastic T20 stats at the time. However, it appears like MI made the right decision with the Green acquisition, as he has had a fantastic season thus far, accumulating 274 runs at a strike rate of over 150. He has also been effective with the ball, taking six wickets this season.
The 23-year-old will only improve with time and experience, and the Mumbai Indians will want to have him around for a long time.