Despite these additions, there are still areas of concern that could hinder their campaign.
After finishing at the bottom of the table in the last IPL season, the Mumbai Indians are gearing up for a resurgence in the upcoming IPL 2025.
The franchise have focused on retaining its core group of experienced players while adding promising new talents to strike a better balance in the squad.
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With a significant portion of their auction budget spent on retaining key players, Mumbai entered the auction with limited funds but managed to secure some notable signings.
These include a mix of overseas stars and domestic talents, highlighting their efforts to fill crucial gaps from the previous season.
Despite these additions, there are still areas of concern that could hinder their campaign. Let’s look at the three major weaknesses of Mumbai Indians heading into the IPL 2025.
Limited Backup Options
Mumbai Indians’ playing XI looks strong enough to challenge for the title, but their bench strength is a concern. Apart from the starting players and the impact player, the team lacks quality backup options.
This puts Mumbai in a tricky situation, as they’ll need to be cautious with their choices. The team will have to hope that no key players suffer injuries, as the available backups don’t match the quality of the starting XI.
Reliance on Unproven Overseas Players
Mumbai Indians have a solid core of Indian players, but their overseas picks are a bit unconventional. Apart from Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner, most of their international players are not IPL regulars or have limited experience in the league.
While Will Jacks had a solid IPL 2024 season, he’s still fairly new to the IPL. Reece Topley and Lizaad Williams have only featured in a few matches, while Allah Ghazanfar, who was part of the KKR squad previously, didn’t get an opportunity to play. Bevan-John Jacobs and Ryan Rickelton have no IPL experience, making their inclusion in the squad uncertain.
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Shortage of Quality Indian Spinners
One of Mumbai Indians’ key weaknesses heading into IPL 2025 is their lack of strong Indian spin options. While they have added overseas spinners like Mitchell Santner and Allah Ghazanfar, Santner has had limited opportunities in the IPL so far, and Ghazanfar is new to the league. This means MI will have to rely heavily on these overseas spinners.
Karn Sharma is the only Indian spinner in the squad, but he’s likely to be on the bench. With no other Indian spin options available, Mumbai could struggle, particularly on spin-friendly pitches, making this an area of concern for the team.
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