Mumbai Indians did not qualify for the playoffs in the last two editions. Hence, they will be under pressure to return to winning ways. However, with the ruling out of Jasprit Bumrah, the team’s chances have been reduced considerably. Nevertheless, there is depth in the squad and if MI can find the right combination, they could go far in the tournament. On that note, here, we predict the four overseas players for Mumbai Indians in the playing 11 for IPL 2023.
1) Jofra Archer
After missing IPL 2022, Jofra Archer will play for MI in the next season. With Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of IPL 2023, Jofra will lead the bowling attack. It will be a massive responsibility on the pacer, who has only just returned from injury.
Archer will have to do the bulk of duties in the death overs and based on the game situation, he might also have to come on as an enforcer. With the bat, too, Jofra will be expected to do some big-hitting. It will also be interesting to see if Jofra can remain injury-free for 14 games in the season.
2) Tim David
Tim David will be one of the overseas players for Mumbai Indians in the playing 11 for IPL 2023. The Aussie big-hitter will be one player who has a spot confirmed in the playing XI. He is destructive as a finisher and also provides a few overs of off-spin. These attributes make him a must in the setup for MI.
Last season, he had a difficult start but he came back strongly. He has been in good form, with quality knocks in the SA20 and the PSL. Since Mumbai will play half of its game at the Wankhede Stadium, Tim David can expect favourable conditions and therefore, a few more impact knocks.
3) Cameron Green
Cameron Green will also be one of the overseas players for Mumbai Indians in the playing 11 for IPL 2023. The Australian all-rounder was MI’s biggest purchase at IPL 2023 Auctions. In fact, he is the costliest purchase for MI in the history of IPL.
Green has found success as an opener in T20Is. However, with Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan opening, Green might not get to open. Hence, he could operate at No.3, with Suryakumar Yadav moving to No.5 and Tilak Verma batting at No.4. Apart from with the bat, Green will also have to bowl four overs. Mumbai needs more all-round options to tackle the loss of Bumrah. Green is a good medium-pacer and could do the job in the powerplay or in the middle-overs.
4) Jason Behrendorff
Jason Behrendorff was traded from Royal Challengers Banglore before the auctions. The Aussie offers good new-ball value and would surely compete for a spot in the playing XI.
A lot of top-orders in the tournament are not great against the moving ball from a left-arm pacer in the IPL. Since Jasprit Bumrah is not present, MI would need someone who can pick a few wickets in the powerplay. Therefore, in this regard, Jason would be the option for the five-time winners.
