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The five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) seem to have found their mojo. The Hardik Pandya-led team lost its first three matches and was in a spot of trouble. However, MI has turned things in their favor in the last two games at Wankhede.
MI first defeated the Delhi Capitals (DC) to get up and running, and now they have convincingly beaten their rivals, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). On Thursday, MI won the toss and invited RCB to bat first, who managed to score 196 runs on a good Wankhede pitch. However, it was Jasprit Bumrah's spell that took the limelight in the first innings. The Indian pace sensation took a fifer and conceded only 21 runs in his spell of four overs.
While chasing, MI openers started brilliantly as Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma built a partnership of more than 100 runs. Ishan scored 69 runs at a strike rate of 202.9. Meanwhile, former captain Rohit scored a quick 38 runs. In the end, it was Suryakumar Yadav’s show that saw him score 52 runs in only 19 balls, taking MI to an easy victory. Mumbai won by seven wickets with 27 balls remaining, making a statement for the matches to come.
The Mumbai Indians have now started to play like five-time champions. They have a great squad, and now two wins in a row will give them a huge boost in upcoming games. On that note, in this article, we will list three reasons why MI are now the team to beat in the IPL 2024.
#1 MI has found its perfect team combination
The team combination was one of the reasons Mumbai lost their first three games. MI didn’t have Suryakumar's services in the first three matches, and hence they gave chances to Naman Dhir and Dewald Bravis, who showed promise but couldn’t finish matches for them.
Meanwhile, in the bowling department, the young South African pacer Kwena Maphaka played a couple of matches but was quite expensive. MI brought Akash Madhwal into the team. Also, the inclusion of Mohammad Nabi and Romario Sheperd has boosted the middle order.
SKY is also back, who showed his class against RCB, and now that all players are available and MI is finally cracking their perfect eleven, they are going to be the team to watch out for as the tournament progresses.
#2 MI's leading pacer is in prime form
The Indian pace sensation Jasprit Bumrah is in great form this year. The MI pacer is currently number one on the Purple Cap list, with 10 wickets to his name. Bumrah took a fifer against RCB and showed why he’s regarded as one of the best in the world.
Bumrah’s four overs are very crucial for MI, as seen in the last couple of matches. RCB scored 196 against MI but only managed to score 21 runs in Bumrah's four overs. Meanwhile, in the Delhi game, the Capitals were chasing a target of 235. Bumraha conceded only 22 runs in his four overs and took two crucial wickets, helping MI win by 29 runs.
Jasprit Bumrah is bowling in a good rhythm, and he’s someone who can pick wickets at any time. With a bowler like him in prime form, other teams look to just defend his overs, where they lose momentum and the tide is turned in MI's favor. Meanwhile, as the tournament progresses, MI will be hoping for the same performance from their prime bowler.
#3 Openers setting the tone upfront
Mumbai Indians’ openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan have looked in great touch. In the five matches, they have had a couple of fifty and a century partnerships. The Indian batters are providing a much-needed start for MI and are also scoring at a high strike rate, allowing middle-order batters to play freely.
Now that SKY has joined the squad and looked in fine touch against RCB, MI’s top order looks threatening, with some power hitters like Hardik Pandya, Tim David, and Romario Shepherd coming down the order. It looks like a serious batting order.
Coming back to openers, Rohit has scored 156 runs this season at a strike rate of 167.7. On the other hand, Ishan has struck 161 runs at a strike rate of 182.9. Mumbai openers will be looking to continue their good run in the upcoming matches and guide the team to more wins.
