IPL 2020: 3 uncapped Mumbai Indians players who deserve a chance in the playing XI

The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will get underway from 29 March, and the fans have already started counting down the days.

Meanwhile, the league's most successful franchise Mumbai Indians have begun preparations to defend their title and lift their fifth IPL trophy. The Rohit Sharma-led side has emerged victorious in the 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019 editions of IPL, which puts them one ahead of the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings.

The franchise retained their core group of players during the trade window and added some more talent to their squad during the auction held last year in December. They have roped in the likes of Chris Lynn, Sherfane Rutherford and Digvijay Deshmukh, to name a few.

Due to the presence of star cricketers like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah, many young cricketers have had to warm the benches over the last few seasons. Cricketers like Mohsin Khan, Prince Balwant Rai Singh, Anmolpreet Singh and Anukul Roy are still waiting in the wings for an opportunity.

Follow Sportskeeda for more Cricket news.

As the 13th edition of the competition starts in a few weeks, we take a look at three uncapped Mumbai Indians cricketers who deserve a chance in the playing XI at some point this season.

---

1. Anmolpreet Singh

Anmolpreet Singh

Anmolpreet Singh has been with the Mumbai Indians squad since last season but is yet to make his debut. The 21-year-old made his first impression during the 2016 U-19 World Cup. He produced a gritty 72-run knock against Sri Lanka in the semifinal to rescue India from 27 for two, which won him the man of the match award.

Anmolpreet has also made good progress in the domestic circuit. He averages over 40 in List A cricket and is a star member of the Punjab side in first-class cricket.

He was the leading run-scorer for Punjab in the 2017–18 Ranji Trophy, with 753 runs in five matches. He was then inducted into India A squad for their limited-overs tour to New Zealand, where he played some crucial knocks.

Speaking about his stint in the IPL last year, Anmolpreet said he had a great experience sharing the dressing room with the legends of the game.

“We wanted to use the IPL experience to become better cricketers, and that goal was achieved,” Anmolpreet said in one of his interviews.

In his second season with the Mumbai side, Anmolpreet will look for an opportunity where he can showcase his skills at the biggest stage and grab the attention of the national selectors.

2. Anukul Roy

Anukul Roy

While Anukul Roy's career has been marred by several injuries, he has left an impression with both bat and ball in whatever opportunities that have come his way. Roy played a key role in helping the Prithvi Shaw-led India U19 side lift the World Cup, finishing as the joint highest wicket-taker.

Since then, he has gone on to become one of the key members in the Jharkhand side. He made his List A debut in February 2018 playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, while his first-class debut came later that year. He finished with the highest number of wickets for Jharkhand in that season with 30 from nine matches, and also scored some valuable runs with the bat.

Roy boasts a strong T20 CV with an economy rate of under 7 with the ball. The young all-rounder has been with the Mumbai Indians for the last couple of seasons and has mostly warmed the benches in the presence of Krunal Pandya.

However, as Roy continues to make his presence felt in the domestic circuit, he deserves some opportunities in the Mumbai Indians side this year.

3. Digvijay Deshmukh

Digvijay Deshmukh

A right-arm fast bowler from Maharashtra, Digvijay Deshmukh grabbed the spotlight when Mumbai Indians roped him in during the auction for a base price of Rs 20 lakh. The deal also earned him a Ranji Trophy cap against Jammu & Kashmir in the ongoing season, where he bagged six wickets and scored 85 runs with the bat.

The Kai Po Che actor made his T20 debut last year during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Deshmukh impressed with his pace and bounce, scalping nine wickets from seven matches. Although he has been reported for a suspect bowling action, the 21-year-old is working on it and is expected to come back stronger.

Deshmukh is still an unknown commodity to the cricketing world, but he can be useful for the Mumbai Indians. The cricketer’s all-round ability could help the management find the right balance with Hardik Pandya still recovering from his back injury.