Mumbai Indians need to hit the straps to gallop

The Mumbai Indians are there and thereabouts around the halfway mark, but it is time for them to up the ante. The five-time champions have been in this situation before, but then, they have found the mojo when it mattered. Hardik Pandya has settled in nicely as the skipper and has done well to encourage the young Indian talent. Puthur, Naman Dhir and Sathyanarayana have been provided opportunities to prove their mettle. Puthur and Dhir have made their presence felt but Sathyanarayana is a work in progress. He is finding his way through in this big league and he will deliver soon enough. Pandya has been making all- round contributions and the heartening fact is the impact that he has made as a bowler.

Pandya’s efficacy apart, the Mumbai Indians’ bowling unit has been blowing hot and cold. The economy rate of Trent Boult has gone up and his strike rate has also taken a hit this season. This is due to the batters’ aggressive tactics against the left arm seamer. The batters have gone after him to dilute the threat that he poses with the new ball. A left arm seamer is a great boon to have in any side and Boult is a high-quality performer. Because of the standards he has set in the past, the expectations will be high. Mumbai Indians will be hoping that he recreates the magic he is capable of and help MI turn things around.

The other area of concern has been Santner’s strike rate. Spinners need to pick up wickets and a left arm spinner must do it along with a decent economy rate as well. Bowlers generally hunt in pairs, but the Mumbai Indians’ had a depleted bowling attack until now. The absence of Bumrah has emboldened the batters to go after Boult and Santner needs someone from the other end to keep the pressure up. Now that Bumrah is back in action, the dynamics will change, and the Mumbai Indians’ attack will look different. If the Bumrah-Boult combo creates enough pressure at the start, then the spinners can call the shots in the middle phase. With Karn Sharma striking form and brimming with confidence, he can form a lethal combination with Santner. Karn’s effort once again reemphasises the fact that wrist spinners are a force to reckon with in the IPL .

On the batting front, the top order has been quiet and that is an area of concern for the Mumbai Indians. Sharma and Rickelton are looking to do what the Head-Sharma combo does for the Sunrisers. If the Mumbai pair strike like Head and Abhishek have done, then their middle order will catapult them to greater heights. Tilak Verma and Sky have been in great nick this season with Dhir and Pandya providing good support. The Mumbai Indians have ducked and weaved to qualify for the play offs in the past as well. Therefore, it will be futile to write them off based on their off and on display so far.

However, they need the accomplished performers like Rohit Sharma, Boult and Santner to fire for them to win games. I am not having a go at these top quality players, but merely pointing out that they have key roles to perform. Rohit Sharma needs to get runs at the start of the innings to seize the initiative. On the other hand, Santner and Boult need to pick up wickets, to restrict the opposition. If these key players perform better, the Mumbai Indians can once again gallop the last furlong and get their noses ahead.

As far as the MI leadership group is concerned, they have tried various things all along to find the solutions. Hopefully they have identified a winning combination for the remaining part of the season. The Tilak Verma retirement move notwithstanding, there is a lot of experience and acumen in that leadership group. Former captains prefer to be withdrawn or critical, but it is great to see Rohit guide Pandya. In doing so, Rohit helps his successor immensely and also lives up to his reputation of being a selfless leader.

The second half of this IPL edition will prove to be a lot more competitive which is exactly what the fans want. The “Thala” has reignited the passion of the CSK fans by playing a match winning knock on the Tamil New Year’s Day. An apt gift for the fans from the Thala, and they will hope that the winning streak continues. Rajasthan Royals is another side that can make a serious bid for a top four slot. They have been up and down thus far, but another couple of wins quickly will change the points table. All said and done, the current IPL edition is nicely poised to be exciting all the way.