IPL 2021: Top 3 future prospects for Mumbai Indians

The Mumbai Indians (MI) have not gotten their IPL 2021 off to an ideal start, by their standards anyway, winning four and losing three of their seven games so far. And now, with the season getting postponed due to rising COVID-19 cases, the team will have to wait it out before they can resume their bid for an unprecedented sixth title.

One of the reasons behind the five-time champion's consistent success over the years has been their knack for grooming quality Indian players who have gone on to represent the national team. With that in mind, we're taking a look at some of the most promising players from Mumbai Indians' existing lineup who could form the foundation for their future prospects.

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#1 Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav's resurgence began in IPL 2020 when he notched up 480 runs in 16 matches as the Mumbai Indians won their fifth title. The batsman from the team's home city scored four fifties and then cemented himself as the team's designated middle-order batsman who could switch gears at will.

In his seven games in IPL 2021 so far, he has scored 173 runs at an average of 24.71 and a strike rate of 144.16, second best after Kieron Pollard's 171.42.

Yadav has been part of the Mumbai Indians setup since 2018, and will be one of the main cogs in their middle order in the seasons to come. It shouldn't come as a surprise if he's one of the retentions ahead of the mega auctions in 2022.

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#2 Hardik Pandya, Mumbai Indians' potential future captain

Hardik Pandya may have had a lean IPL 2021, but he is Mumbai Indians' most reliable all-rounder. His career stats in the league show that he has a solid record as a lower-order batsman, scoring 1401 runs from 87 matches and taking 42 wickets as a medium pacer.

The 27-year-old is also regarded by many as an ideal candidate to become Mumbai Indians' next skipper once Rohit Sharma calls time on his IPL career.

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#3 Jasprit Bumrah

Another player who the Mumbai Indians have successfully developed over the years is Jasprit Bumrah. Ever since he dismissed Virat Kohli for his first wicket in the IPL, the Gujarat quick has been integral to their title wins.

Like Hardik, he too has suffered a bad patch with the ball this season, picking up just six wickets from seven games, but that will not dampen the team's enthusiasm for using his services over the next few years.