IPL 2020: There is not enough quality and quantity in the Mumbai Indians' spin department, says Aakash Chopra

Former Indian batsman and cricket expert Aakash Chopra believes that there is not much depth in quality and quantity as far as the Mumbai Indians' spin department is concerned.

The Mumbai side has the likes of Krunal Pandya and Rahul Chahar who are experienced IPL players but do not have quality back-up in case one of them shows poor form or gets injured. The only real backup options they have are Anukul Roy and Jayant Yadav, who do not have much IPL experience.

Aakash Chopra was surprised when the Mumbai Indians did not opt for an overseas spinner as a replacement for Lasith Malinga. The pitches in the UAE will wear and tear sooner rather than later and MI do not have quality spin bowling to take advantage of it.

Thus, Chopra feels that this is one cause for worry for the defending champions.

"One real weakness that comes to mind, keeping in mind that IPL 2020 is about to happen in the UAE and only on three grounds, is that the pitches will get tired over a period of time. There, you need a lot of depth in spin bowling," Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.

"But MI do not have that depth in their spin bowling. Neither do they have the quality nor the quantity of spin bowling required in these conditions," he further added.

Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Rahul Chahar have a great opportunity to shine in IPL 2020: Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra feels that Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and Rahul Chahar can have a breakthrough IPL 2020 season.

Aakash Chopra believes that the likes of Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rahul Chahar will have a brilliant opportunity to make their mark in IPL 2020. Suryakumar was very close to playing for India after he had a fantastic domestic season in the 2019-20 season.

Suryakumar was selected for the India A side based on his performances, but a solid IPL 2020 season would certainly make him a strong contender for a place in the Indian middle order in white-ball cricket. The same goes for Ishan Kishan, as the retirement of MS Dhoni coupled with a good IPL 2020 season, can open doors for him into the Indian team.

Rahul Chahar had a brilliant IPL 2019 and earned his maiden India cap. However, to play more consistently in the Indian team, Aakash Chopra believes that he needs to have a brilliant IPL 2020 too. With MI's spin depth not that good, Chahar will have a lot of responsibility on his shoulders to shine this season.

"Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav and Rahul Chahar have a great opportunity to shine this IPL season. Surya is very close to playing for India. Ishan Kishan has also been a consistent performer of late and a good IPL can bring him in the reckoning for the Indian team," Aakash Chopra said.

"If Rahul Chahar has a brilliant IPL 2020, then it would be two consecutive IPL seasons that were good for him. He has got an India cap already but he will be able to be associated with the Indian team for long only when he has a good IPL 2020," he further added.

The Mumbai Indians will begin their IPL 2020 campaign against the Chennai Super Kings on 19th September at Abu Dhabi.