Mumbai Indians have assembled an extraordinarily formidable roster for the IPL 2024 season. MI wanted to guarantee that their IPL 2024 auction went as planned after a few tough seasons following their fifth triumph in 2020, and that’s precisely what occurred.
The Mumbai-based franchise entered the auction with only 17.75 crore in its bank account. They put that money to good use, however, by hiring Gerald Coetzee and Dilshan Madushanka for only 5 crore and 4.60 crore, respectively.
Mumbai Indians further strengthened their spin department with the acquisition of Shreyas Gopal as a backup for Piyush Chawla for Rs 20 lakh. They also signed Mohammad Nabi for 1.5 crore, who might come into play on spin-friendly wickets.
Overall, the Mumbai Indians’ bowling needs to be improved in the IPL 2024 auction. Given that feat, here are three reasons why the Mumbai Indians have the strongest squad in IPL 2024:
1. Mumbai Indians’ Indian core and the reasons behind their dominance
The finest Mumbai Indians teams of the last decade have always included a few Indian players who have regularly produced for them. With the acquisition of Hardik Pandya, they have strengthened their Indian core once again.
In terms of the prospective Indian T20 World Cup team, Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Verma, and Hardik are all in the mix. The fact that MI has all of them is remarkable.
Jasprit Bumrah, who is also a member of MI, is another essential component of Indian teams in all forms. In addition to these India regulars, the franchise has Nehal Wadhera, Piyush Chawla, and Akash Madhwal, who performed well in IPL 2023.
2. MI’s batting unit is the best in IPL 2024
As previously stated, the Mumbai Indians’ batting lineup will consist of Rohit, Ishan, Suryakumar, Tilak, and Hardik.
The fact that India has so many talented hitters is almost unfair to the other nine teams. This batting order will be difficult to keep quiet with Tim David coming in at No. 6 and Wadhera following him.
Dewald Brevis and Vishnu Vinod are also capable backups in case of injury. They can bat deep while also boasting a formidable bowling team in IPL 2024, thanks to the additions of Romario Shepherd, Nab, and Coetzee.
3. MI finally find their pace battery
Another characteristic of the Mumbai Indians’ title-winning teams was their fantastic speed bowling corps, which comprised Bumrah and two international pacers for a long period.
MI’s speed bowling deteriorated with the release of Trent Boult a couple of years ago. Injuries plagued Jofra Archer, who was recruited in to replace Boult, and Bumrah himself in IPL 2023.
The Hardik Pandya-led side included Coetzee and Madushanka, two of the top young pacers in the world, who both played admirably at the 2023 World Cup. They also paid 4.80 crore for Nuwan Thushara, who has a Malinga-like bowling motion.
A speed assault with Bumrah, Hardik, and any two of Coetzee, Madushanka, Thushara, and the retained Jason Behrendorff is devastating. The Wankhede pitch is more suited to speed bowling, which is why MI has always prioritized it.
Shepherd, who was acquired from the Lucknow Super Giants, may potentially play as the fourth abroad because to his all-around ability. Chawla is set to be the team’s sole spinner. If MI plays in Chennai or Lucknow, Nabi might fill in for Shepherd as the team’s fourth overseas player.