IPL 10, Match 16, MI v GL – Mumbai Indians Predicted XI

Mumbai Indians are more or less would go ahead with the same side which beat RCB two days ago and the only concern will be the form of their captain.

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Mumbai Indians players. (Photo Source: BCCI)

Mumbai Indians recorded their third win in four games this season when they sneaked past a spirited bowling performance by RCB to win an away game by 4 wickets. They are off to a great start this season, something which they haven’t for a long time. They now are up against last year’s table toppers Gujarat Lions in a day game at the Wankhede.

Gujarat Lions finally got off the mark in a relatively one-sided encounter against RPS on Friday. Bolstering their bowling line-up with Andrew Tye, who picked up a hattrick in his first game, have really turned things around for them. In a departure from the general consensus, bowlers are as important as batsmen in this format; something which Raina learned in the last game.

The only concern for Mumbai Indians would be the form of their skipper Rohit Sharma who has mustered just 9 runs in 4 hits in the middle so far. He has not opened the innings yet in this tournament, which many feel, is his best position.

Mumbai Indians look the most balanced side in the tournament and would not want to change a winning combination. Here is a look at the Predicted XI for Mumbai Indians for their home game against Gujarat lions:

Openers (Rohit Sharma and Parthiv Patel)

It is about time Rohit unleashed himself at the top of the order. Coming on the backs of his worst 4 T20 games where he has scored just nine runs, Rohit will be desperate to get runs under his belt. He is too good a player to miss out for so long. It is tough to come back from a 5-month long injury lay-off and hit the ground running straightaway. He has batted at number 3 thrice and once at number 4 and has fallen to leg-spinners thrice – all to googlies. Opening the innings will take the pressure off him and he can also take his time to get his eye in before going for the kill.

Parthiv Patel has never averaged more than 27 in any season of the IPL. He always gets to a start and then throws it away after a slap-happy score in the twenties. He is a seasoned campaigner and should realize that mere twenties won’t serve the purpose for him. At 32, Parthiv still has 3-4 years of professional cricket left in him and a possible India recall will be at the top of his head. He is hitting the ball well and must look to utilize this good form.

Middle Order (Nitish Rana, Jos Buttler, Kieron Pollard)

Nitish Rana has been very solid in this year’s IPL managing to score 140 runs in 4 innings thus far. Being a left-hander, Rana is very capable of handling the leg-spinners and left-arm spinners. He has the perfect mix of attack and defense which helps in anchoring the innings. Buttler, who hasn’t fired yet this tournament, will be better suited to bat in the middle order. He handles spin very well and can be destructive in the middle overs.

Pollard is fresh from his match-winning 70 in the last game against RCB. Number 5 is the perfect position for this big man who can strike well at the back end of an innings. He didn’t come into the tournament with a lot of runs under his belt but has hit the straps early, which is a great news for Mumbai Indians. With Buttler and Pollard in the middle, Mumbai has a lot of power in the middle order.

Lower Middle Order (Krunal Pandya and Hardik Pandya)

The Pandya brothers have set the stage on fire as far as their performances are concerned. Both have been handy with bat and ball both. Krunal enjoyed his dominance over the world’s best batsman AB De Villiers, as the left-arm spinner dismissed him for the third time in successive games, though spread over a year. He has scored tough runs as well, as he did in the last game with a game-changing 37*.

Hardik, too, like his elder brother, has produced impressive all-round performances. He has been the guy who has up the scoring rate during the latter part of the innings as his strike rate of 227.27 reflects. Both Pandya’s bring so much to the table for Mumbai Indians.

Bowlers (Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah and Tim Southee)

After been made to sit out in the first game this year, Harbhajan has comeback strongly to bowl miserly spells, even with the new ball. His experience is so vital for his franchise for a number of years. He can also swat the ball around at the back end of an innings.

The pace-battery of Mumbai Indians, McClenaghan, Bumrah and Southee, have had a mixed season so far. McClenaghan, though, made amends for his first three expensive games with a return of 2/20 against a powerful RCB side. Bumrah has bowled in the middle overs twice in a row and has gone for a few this season. It is a matter of time till he finds his lengths again. Southee too has struggled in his twin appearance so far and needs to fire because there is a certain Mitchell Johnson warming the bench.

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