Mumbai Indians IPL Team

The most storied franchise in the history of the IPL with five trophy wins, Mumbai Indians haven't quite put it together these last couple of seasons, despite the stacks of firepower present in the unit. Boasting of names such as Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah, only to win four games and lose a whopping 10 to finish bottom of the group stages? Simply not good enough from a team that prides itself on consistency and always being in the mix. For them, 2025 is about redemption, and getting back to where they belong.

The last time MI won the IPL title was in 2020, putting them at 5 titles, well clear of everyone else. Since, CSK have caught up with two more of their own, while KKR have worked their way up to three. This is a team that is built for winning, and doing so while creating stars — but at the same time, one about continuity and loyalty to their players, meaning they haven't forced any changes. Aware that this team is close to clicking together, the team actually looks very similar to the unit which won just four matches. But there is such quality that you wouldn't count them out from going on a run and suddenly winning twice that amount.

Rohit Sharma remains at the top of the order, playing his first IPL since international T20 retirement, and Mumbai fans will hope that means their former captain goes turbo mode. Hardik Pandya also returns after his big trade last year, and will have a lot of responsibility to right the ship, accompanied by new Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav. The who's-who of Indian superstars doesn't stop, with MI investing in Tilak Varma, who only seems to go from strength to strength and could be an absolute bargain at 8 crore.

But the main man is the one who will be MI’s difference maker, a bowler who has entered a vein of form that has seen him established firmly as the best cricket player in the world at the minute. Jasprit Bumrah will still call Mumbai home, and coming off an injury that saw him miss the triumphant Champions Trophy campaign, there is no question that he will have that extra desire to get back to winning ways before returning to international action.

This is the core of the MI team, a flood of Indian talent which allows them to go for budget international buys as points of difference. Once again, this has meant investing heavily in Trent Boult, who became their most expensive auction buy, as well as sneaking Will Jacks from underneath RCB to find an explosive opener to pair with Rohit at the top. Alongside them, MI also went for Deepak Chahar and Mitchell Santner, adding experience and savvy to their team, but they will miss the services of Allah Ghazanfar, whose injuries have forced him to miss out on his maiden IPL campaign.

Once again, Mumbai's concern will be whether they are a little top-heavy, and whether someone like Santner can produce at an elite level to ensure that the absence of a truly premier spin option will hurt this team of superstars. It's a very similar team to the one from the last cycle, but looking at the quality of names on the roster, not one that should be overlooked by any means.