Mumbai Indians came into the IPL 2023 Mini-Auction with the likes of captain Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Jofra Archer, Jasprit Bumrah and Ishan Kishan retained in the side. The five-time champion will bank on their core players in the starting XI.
With a total of nine spots to fill, Mumbai Indians targetted all-rounders and spinners in this auction. They secured the services of seven players while shelling out 17.5 Crores for Australian all-rounder Cameron Green. Here is the starting XI for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2023.
Rohit Sharma
The most successful captain of Mumbai Indians, Rohit Sharma is an inspirational figure for the franchise. Since taking over the role of leader, Rohit has led MI to five titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020.
Although Rohit has done well over the years with the bat, he is lacking inconsistency in the last two years. In particular, Rohit had a bad IPL 2022, wherein he scored 268 runs in 14 innings at a paltry average of 19.14.
This season can prove to be crucial for the captain in terms of his leadership and batting form. With pressure in the international circuit in both departments, the IPL form would give him confidence for the 2023 World Cup a swell.
Ishan Kishan
One of the finest top-order batters in Indian cricket, Ishan Kishan has risen to fame with his superb ball-striking abilities. Ishan recently hit the fastest double hundred in international cricket, wherein he slammed 210 off 131 balls against Bangladesh.
With regards to his IPL performances, the southpaw has slammed 1870 runs in 75 innings, with 12 fifties. He had the best season in the 2020 edition while scoring 516 runs at an average of 57.33, which helped Mumbai Indians to lift the title.
Ishan had a disappointing start in the 2022 season, but he still emerged as the top-scorer for MI until the end of the league stage. He would look to shine bright and justify his hefty price tag to pave way for the franchise to win its sixth title.
Suryakumar Yadav
The skilful batter is the top-scorer in the T20Is in 2022, Suryakumar Yadav was sensational with his ability to play shots all around the park. This year, he slammed two centuries in this format against quality attacks like England and New Zealand on their home soil.
Surya has also done well in the IPL in the last few years. He scored 480 runs in the 2020 edition, which played a key role in helping MI to lift the IPL title. Then, he garnered 300+ runs in the subsequent two editions.
With his composure and confidence, the elegant batter was the backbone of the team in the 2022 edition. In a matter of eight matches, he hit 303 runs at an average of 43.29. In the 2023 season as well, Surya will play a key role to hold the team well in crunch moments.
Cameron Green
The batting all-rounder was picked by Mumbai in the IPL 2023 mini-auction. Much expectation are bestowed on him due to his impressive performances in his first T20I series in India. He slammed 118 runs in three innings and emerged as the top batter in the series.
Further, this performance earned him a place in the T20 World Cup 2022 squad as well. Since then, he was touted to be earning a handsome amount in the auction. Without much doubt, Green will be a part of Starting XI in the 2023 edition.
Tilak Varma
The southpaw was sensational in the 2022 edition, which was his debut season in the IPL. He was picked by the franchise due to his impressive performances in the domestic circuit. He churned out runs in a consistent manner to earn an IPL contract.
The same was witnessed in the cash-rich T20 League as well, where he looked confident of his abilities against top bowlers. Tilak scored 397 runs in 14 innings at an average of 36.09 at a strike rate of 131.02.
The youngster had been in sublime form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Hyderabad. He hit two centuries and is likely to be the No.4 for Mumbai Indians, irrespective of the franchises buying a middle-order batter in the auction.
Tim David
The swashbuckling batter has been sensational to provide his respective teams with a grand finish in the T20 format. His ability to strike the ball from the word go is praised by many in the cricket fraternity.
His candidature in the IPL was finally accepted in the IPL 2022 by Mumbai Indians. After a failure in a few games, he was dropped. However, the explosive batter made a belligerent comeback to finish on 186 runs in eight innings at a lavish strike rate of 216.28.
This performance helped him to get a national call-up as well. David is likely to be the regular number six batter of MI in IPL 2023.
Hrithik Shokeen
The number seven spot can be filled by Hrithik Shokeen in this lineup. Shokeen played five games in the 2022 edition, scored 43 runs, and bagged two wickets.
Although the spinner could not take enough wickets, he showed calmness in crunch moments in his debut season. Further, he can be a handy batter in the lower middle order for MI.
Piyush Chawla
The experienced campaigner has been an impressive performer in Indian conditions. He is an Indian has played in the IPL for various teams, including the Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab, and Chennai Super Kings. MI bagged him in the IPL 2023 auction due to his experience and track record.
Over all these years, the right-arm leg-spinner is known for his accuracy and variations. He made his IPL debut in 2008 and has played 165 matches in the tournament, taking over 150 wickets.
Chawla is a reliable performer who has consistently delivered for his teams in the IPL and will be looking to continue his good form in the IPL 2023 as well.
Jhye Richardson
The Australian pacer, Jhye Richardson has represented the Punjab Kings in the IPL 2021. Renowned for his pace and swing, the 26-year-old is a seasoned campaigner for Western Australia in the domestic circuit.
Richardson played in a handful of matches for the Punjab Kings. In three appearances, he bagged three wickets in as many appearances. He has already bagged eight wickets in three BBL 2022 matches, with best figures of 4/9 for Scorchers.
In addition to his IPL appearances, Richardson has also represented Australia in over 15 ODI and 18 T20Is, taking 46 wickets in total. He is a promising young talent who has the potential to be a key player for the franchise in the future.
Jofra Archer
The English pacer, Jofra Archer was picked by MI in IPL 2022 despite injuries as a part of their future plan. Moreover, he was retained as well ahead of the IPL 2023 auction. To MI’s delight, Archer is now fully fit and was also named in the ODI squad for the South Africa series.
Archer has played 121 T20s and scalped 153 wickets at an economy of 7.65. He has been impressive in the IPL as well from 2018 to 2020. To date, the 27-year-old has bagged 46 wickets in 35 IPL games.
Until the time when IPL 2023 arrives, Archer would have gained sufficient match practice and will be ready for the season. He will be a confirmed overseas player in the XI.
Jasprit Bumrah
The finest Indian bowling talent to emerge from the IPL has been Jasprit Bumrah. His accuracy, pace and variations have put the batters under the pump since making his debut in 2013. Bumrah’s IPL performances and international performances have been top-notch in crunch moments.
So far, Bumrah has bagged 145 wickets in 120 games at an economy of 7.39, which is decent in the shortest format. In IPL 2019, the speedster took 19 wickets in 16 games and followed it up with 27 wickets in the subsequent editions. As a result, the team lifted the titles in both editions.
Although the right-arm pacer did not feature in T20 World Cup due to injury, he is likely to be returning to the field in a month’s time. If recovered fully, the 29-year-old will again be a potent bowling option for the MI in the powerplay as well as death overs.