Mumbai Indians, five-time champions in the Indian Premier League (IPL), will be without their legendary pacer Jasprit Bumrah for IPL 2023 as he is currently recovering from a back injury. Having played 120 games in the league, Bumrah has taken 145 wickets and played a pivotal role in his team’s success over the past few editions.
After much deliberation, MI have identified the right man to fill the shoes of Bumrah and take on the challenge of replacing him with Sandeep Warrier, Tamil Nadu bowler in the Indian domestic circuit. Here are 3 reasons why Sandeep Warrieris the perfect fit for MI in IPL 2023:
1) Experience in the T20 format
Sandeep Warrier, who will turn 32 this week, has a wealth of experience in domestic cricket, having been around since 2012. In the 66 first-class, 69 List-A and 68 T20 matches he has been involved in, he has taken 362 wickets. Furthermore, Warrier has five IPL appearances under his belt, in which he earned two scalps.
2) Has represented India
Sandeep Warrier has expressed his talents on the international stage in the past, having featured in a T20 against Sri Lanka in 2021. Despite going wicketless, Warrier still showcased his talents by bowling well, and this experience of playing in a high-stakes match will only help him as he takes part in IPL this time around.
3) His recent form
Tamil Nadu’s Warrier has been on a roll lately, picking up wickets in each of his last 16 appearances. Even on occasions when he hasn’t taken a wicket, he has kept his economy rate low, as seen in the 2022-23 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he was able to contain opposition batsmen to an economy of less than six despite picking only 3 wickets.
