"Anyone who comes in knows that he is with a side that is superior to the others" - Sanjay Manjrekar on MI's legacy

Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes that the Mumbai Indians' (MI) winning culture will infuse confidence in anyone who walks into the side in future editions of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Manjrekar recently compared the five-time champions' journey in the cash-rich league to the dominance of West Indies and Australia during their prime. The cricketer-turned-commentator suggested that it will ensure that the morale of the players remains high, irrespective of who the captain is.

During a discussion on ESPNcricinfo, he remarked:

"With Mumbai Indians, I guess, like the West Indies in the 70s and Australia later, just that winning vibe in the dressing room. So anyone who comes in knows that he is with a side that is superior to the others, and that is the confidence they will take into the game, no matter who the captain is."

In the same video, former Australian cricketer Tom Moody suggested that certain fans and experts had underestimated MI's bowling attack in IPL 2023. He pointed out how the likes of Piyush Chawla and Jason Behrendorff have done well in their respective roles, elaborating:

"With Mumbai Indians, the other thing to highlight is that what's got them back into this tournament is high-class batting. We have all underestimated the quality of some of their bowlers. Chawla coming back into IPL cricket from virtual retirement, brilliant performance as a mainstay spinner. Behrendorff sort of under the radar, always took powerplay wickets."

Notably, the Rohit Sharma-led side finished fourth in the points table after the league stage, having won eight of their 14 matches. They will take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Eliminator on Wednesday, May 24, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

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"Halfway through this season, you realize Mumbai Indians just didn't have a team" - Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar further spoke about how he had always believed that building a formidable team at the auction was key for franchises. He, however, suggested that Mumbai have proven that teams can still do well even if there are certain limitations.

The 57-year-old opined that MI seemed to be struggling in the middle phase of the ongoing season, but they were successful in staging a turnaround towards the business end.

On this, Manjrekar said:

"I had this theory until now that if you've picked a good side and did a great job at the auction, you put yourself in a very advantageous position to win the title. But halfway through this season, you realize Mumbai Indians just didn't have a team.

"Bumrah wasn't there, Archer wasn't there, their batting wasn't firing, and it looked like a team that would continue to be average for a while in future IPLs as well. And suddenly, this turnaround. So then, you wonder whether it is really the auction and the kind of team that you pick."

It is worth mentioning that Rohit Sharma and Co. endured a dismal campaign last year, finishing as the wooden spooners. They have a chance of making amends this time around by securing their sixth IPL title.