IPL 2020: Mumbai Indians' strongest possible lineup

Lower middle-order

Rahul Chahar enjoyed a breakout season in the 2019 edition of the IPL

Hardik Pandya

The 2019 edition of the IPL was when Hardik Pandya replaced reckless abandon in his game with precision-laden destruction.

Placing himself deep in the crease, the flamboyant all-rounder made sure that every full-pitched delivery in the death overs was dispatched high up in the stands (remember the monster six against RCB at the Chinnaswamy?)

His numbers from last season are a story in itself – Pandya scored 404 runs at an average of 44.66 whilst maintaining a devastating strike rate of 191.42, and picked up 14 wickets at an economy of 9.7 runs per over.

Coming into his own in the last five overs of every game, he made sure that every bowler felt the wrath of the lusty blows he dealt with consummate ease.

Pandya will hope to reduce his expensive economy rate this season whilst continuing the deadly form he showed with the bat last term.

Krunal Pandya

Over the years, Krunal Pandya has managed to come in clutch for the Mumbai Indians whenever they’ve needed a big break desperately in games.

Be it a short but explosive cameo with the bat at the end of an innings or a crucial wicket to dismiss a set batsman, the elder Pandya has managed to stamp his authority on games with decisive contributions at crucial junctures.

His contributions with the ball as a spin-bowling all-rounder have been invaluable – Pandya managed to claim 12 scalps last season at an extremely impressive economy rate of 7.28. With the bat though, the story is a bit different, and maybe a bit concerning if you’re a Mumbai Indians supporter.

Last season, Pandya managed to score a paltry 183 runs at a disappointing average of 16.63. In the 2017 edition, the situation wasn’t encouraging either – he scored 228 runs at an average of 22.80.

This gradual decline in his performances with the bat will be a cause of concern for Mahela Jayawardene, and it is of utmost importance that Pandya improves his batting output in the upcoming campaign.

Rahul Chahar

One of the finds of the 2019 edition of the IPL, Rahul Chahar became another exponent of Mumbai’s famed policy of backing Indian youth, and experienced a breakout campaign in the blue of Mumbai Indians and took the league by storm.

The 20-year-old bamboozled batsmen with his majestic leg-spin and the fact that he was an unknown entity worked in his favour as well. Chahar was a vital cog in Mumbai’s bowling jigsaw and chipped in with 13 wickets, at a miserly economy rate of 6.55.

Chahar became an invaluable asset for captain Rohit Sharma last season, and his emergence as the teams premier spinner has been fascinating to watch. The Mumbai think-tank and fans alike will be hoping that he can continue where he left off last season and enjoy another terrific campaign.