Mumbai Indians will miss out on the services of Jasprit Bumrah at least for the initial phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL), but it still has enough firepower in its bowling line-up.
With the seasoned Trent Boult back in the camp after a three-year stint with Rajasthan Royals, and Deepak Chahar joining, the side has a blend of youth of experience, and captain Hardik Pandya made it clear that, from the beginning, the idea has been to bank on experience.
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“The plan is very clear – you get a lot of experience in, because Wankhede can be sometimes very unforgiving to the bowlers, the kind of track which we play in. So it was very, very important to bring in experience who have played – from Mitch (Santner) to Trent,” Hardik said on Wednesday.
“Trent was very, very important for us. Deepak, all our experienced individuals, Boom (Bumrah), myself, Mujeeb (Ur Rahman), all of the youngsters who have played a lot of cricket. That was very important – to bring a lot of experience so when the tough time comes, they have felt the pressure earlier. So, I think if you see our bowling pick, that’s very evident. And that’s what we’re looking forward to,” the captain said.
Apart from Boult and Chahar, the squad has Reece Topley and Corbin Bosch, who came in as a replacement for Lizaad Williams, as its frontline quicks, along with captain Hardik, the uncapped Ashwani Kumar, Satyanarayana Raju, Arjun Tendulkar and Raj Angad Bawa.
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While he is hoping for his bowlers to come good, Hardik also considers himself lucky to be sharing the dressing room along with three captains – Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Bumrah.
“I’m lucky that I have three captains who are playing with me. So, it adds more and more experience for me that if I require help, I know that there are three different minds who have led India for different formats,” Hardik said, adding: “And with so many years of experience, they can put the arm around my shoulder and always be there…”
Mumbai Indians will begin its campaign with an away fixture against Chennai Super Kings on March 23, followed by a game in Ahmedabad against Gujarat Titans on March 29. The team will return to Mumbai and play its first home match against Kolkata Knight Riders on March 31.