"Looking forward to playing with Bumrah"- new MI star Tymal Mills ahead of IPL 2022 

England left-arm pacer Tymal Mills is excited to play for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 29-year-old has arrived in Mumbai with his family and will now undergo quarantine.

Mills has enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence back into the England team through strong performances in franchise T20 cricket. He was part of England's squad that made it to the semifinals of the 2021 T20 World Cup.

In a video posted on MI's YouTube channel, here's what Tymal Mills had to say about the prospect of bowling alongside MI's spearhead Jasprit Bumrah:

"Looking forward to meeting all my new teammates. Obviously a great franchise. Had the chance to spend a little bit of time with Bumrah during the World Cup. So looking forward to playing with him. I haven't played at the Wankhede before. This is my first time back since 2017. I have been wanting to come back for a long time and I am happy to get an opportunity."

Will Tymal Mills be able to fill Trent Boult's shoes?

The pairing of Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah was arguably one of the most dangerous new ball partnerships in the past few seasons of the IPL. With Boult now joining the Rajasthan Royals, MI needed an able replacement.

MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene worked with Tymal Mills in The Hundred and thus, the five-time champions were keen to bag the 29-year-old's services. MI picked him up at the auction for a price of INR 1.5 crores.

While many will be awaiting the prospect of seeing Bumrah and Jofra Archer bowl in tandem, the latter isn't going to be available before the IPL 2023 season. This makes Mills' role crucial in the MI pace department.

Bumrah has been the standout bowler for MI over the years and is arguably the best death bowler in the world. But the presence of Mills and his ability to use subtle variations at the death could give skipper Rohit Sharma the option to use Bumrah at different points in an innings.

It will be interesting to see how Mills adapts to the requirements of MI and whether he is able to fill the Boult hole.