IPL 2025: 3 Areas of concern for MI ahead of the season

After a disappointing Indian Premier League (IPL) season last year, the five-time champions, Mumbai Indians (MI), are preparing to bounce back in the 2025 edition. Led by star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya, MI is ready for the challenge with their 23-member squad. 

Before the mega auction, they retained their core players, including Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Verma, and Jasprit Bumrah. However, their approach during the auction and the final squad composition may have left a few areas of concern for the franchise.

Here are the 3 areas of concern for Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2025

1. Lack of quality spinners

Spinners have always played a key role in a team's success in the IPL. However, during the auction, despite quality Indian spinners like Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin being available, MI chose not to compete with them. Instead, they secured Karn Sharma, New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner, and Afghanistan’s Allah Ghazanfar.

Karn Sharma brings experience, but his lack of consistency over the years remains a concern. Santner and Ghazanfar, as overseas players, might face challenges in consistently making the Playing XI. Among the three, Santner could see more game time due to his all-round skills. Even so, the spin department might prove to be a critical factor for Mumbai’s performance in the upcoming season.

2. Inexperienced foreign players

The squad includes eight overseas players, but in terms of experience, only Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner stand out. The others—Ryan Rickelton, Allah Ghazanfar, Will Jacks, Reece Topley, Bevon Jacobs, and Lizaad Williams—lack exposure and remain largely untested, particularly in Indian conditions.

While Jacks and Topley showed promise during their stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), one good season does not guarantee long-term impact. Many of these new additions have excelled in other franchise leagues, but their performance in the IPL is still uncertain.

This approach by MI might be a calculated risk, but its outcome is unpredictable. Moreover, with both Boult and Topley being left-arm pacers, it seems likely that the England bowler was picked as a backup for the experienced Kiwi.      

3. Not having strong backups and proven finishers 

The five retained players are guaranteed starters for MI. However, a champion side also needs a strong bench, which seems to be a potential weakness for the team. While MI has included promising domestic talents like Robin Minz, their limited experience in competitive leagues might make it challenging for them to deliver immediately in the IPL, especially against top-quality bowlers.

In a long tournament like the IPL, injuries are always a possibility. If that happens, MI's lack of bench strength could become a major concern for Hardik Pandya and the team management.

Previously, Tim David was MI's go-to finisher, but his absence now puts extra pressure on Hardik to take up that role at number five or six. Will Jacks, though talented and destructive, is primarily a top-order batter and is not known for his contributions in the middle order during the death overs.

Mumbai Indians (MI) Final Squad for IPL 2025:

Hardik Pandya (C), Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Trent Boult, Karn Sharma, Robin Minz, Naman Dhir, Ryan Rickelton, Deepak Chahar, Allah Ghazanfar, Will Jacks, Ashwani Kumar, Reece Topley, Krishnan Shrijith, Mitchell Santner, Raj Bawa, Satyanarayana Raju, Bevon Jacobs, Lizaad Williams, Arjun Tendulkar, Vignesh Puthur

In conclusion, the Mumbai Indians (MI) have made some significant additions to their squad for IPL 2025, but there are still areas of concern that need to be addressed. The lack of quality spinners, the inexperience of foreign players, and the absence of strong backups and proven finishers are key issues that could impact their performance. Addressing these concerns will be crucial for MI as they aim to bounce back and compete for their sixth IPL title.

For more updates and betting opportunities, visit Sky365.