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Rohit, Bumrah, Ishan, SKY, Tilak - Everything the MI boys did in Asia Cup 2023

By Mumbai Indians

The Asia Cup is here! The World Cup countdown has officially begun. Here were are, tracking our shades of Blue and Gold in the Indian Blue, and in this section, we bring you everything our superstars are up to on this Sri Lankan expedition. From their on-field exploits on match days, to their off-field excursions, to what-they-said, to what’s newsy, we’ll have you covered. It’s a running blog, keep scrolling, keep reading, keep cheering ..

September 17, 2023 (India vs Sri Lanka)

Ishan Kishan: The pocket dynamo got the ticket from the Hitman to lead the run chase against Sri Lanka, and boy he aced it in style. In his 18 balls, he scored 23 runs with three boundary fours in tow.

Jasprit Bumrah: Our BOOM BOOM ensured he is World Cup ready. How? His wicket in the opening over of the game was a sign of what India will look forward to at CWC2023 - quick scalps in the powerplay.

Rohit Sharma: Captain. Leader. Legend. His selection of bowlers made him a smooth operator on the field as his troop dissipated the Sri Lankan batting order inside 15.2 overs. In the end, he became the third Indian skipper to win more than one Asia Cup trophy - after Mohammad Azharuddin and MS Dhoni. 

September 15, 2023 (India vs Bangladesh)

Tilak Varma: After impressive performances in his maiden T20I assignment last month, our young southpaw took one step towards being an all-format player as he made his ODI bow. TV did everything - bat (5), bowl (0/21 in four overs) and field (1 caught dismissal) - and we can't wait to see more of him in the ODI circuit. 

Suryakumar Yadav: Aapla Dada Surya got his first dose of Asia Cup 2023 action with the bat, and he played sidekick to centurion Shubman Gill with his patient 26 off 34 balls. His knock included three boundaries, one coming off the first ball he faced. 

Ishan Kishan: Ishan had a short stay at the crease, with BAN's Mehidy Hasan Miraz trapping the Pocket Dynamo for an LBW inside a 15-ball cameo. 

Rohit Sharma: For the first time since July 2022, Hitman failed to score any runs in an ODI game. While Rohit tried to smack Bangladesh's debutant Tanzim Hasan Sakib's widish delivery over cover for a boundary four, it ended up falling short into the hands of Anamul Haque at cover point.

Jasprit Bumrah: A team player through and through. Rested in view of the Asia Cup 2023 final on Sunday, Boom Boom kept himself involved in the INDvBAN match nonetheless as he cheered on for the Men in Blue for every ball bowled and every shot hit by our batters. 

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September 12, 2023 (India vs Sri Lanka)

Jasprit Bumrah: Boom Boom, Wickets, Powerplay - this circle of events is something Indian fans and the MI Paltan have always yearned for. One delivery took a thick edge to the wicketkeeper and the other - a magnificent slower ball tricked Kusal Mendis to take a bounce, kiss the bat and get ballooned to the fielder - means Bumrah, the wicket-taking engine is revving up for the World Cup. 

Rohit Sharma: Give him a tough pitch, yet the Hitman can pull off a steady knock. He struck seven fours and two sixes to give India an excellent start in the powerplay, and not only breezed past the 10,000 ODI run mark in ODIs, but also notched ODI fifty #51.

Suryakumar Yadav: You cannot keep him out for long, can you! He might not have featured in the XI, but his excellent catch diving forward to get rid of Maheesh Theekshana, with the match stuck at a crucial juncture, was a proper gamechanger.

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September 11, 2023 (India vs Pakistan - Reserve Day) 

Jasprit Bumrah: That run-up, that bowling action, that swing delivery, that thick-edge-cutting-to-the-fielder wicket - we missed it! And, it took just 14 balls for Boom Boom to say "I'M BACK" with the scalp of Imam-ul-Haq in the bag, and he ended the game with a spell of 1/18 in his five overs. Given the one-sided result after Pakistan's batting folded out cheaply, he wasn't quite needed at the death, and would be raring to go against the Lankans! 

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September 10, 2023 (India vs Pakistan)

Jasprit Bumrah: Rivals on the field and friends off the field. In yet another example of the camaraderie between the Indian and Pakistani cricketers, PAK's Shaheen Afridi greeted our very own Boom Boom and offered a congratulatory gift on the latter becoming a father amidst the Asia Cup 2023.

Rohit Sharma: Is there a better way to reach your milestone than doing so against an opponent like Pakistan? Ask Rohit Sharma! Confidently taking on the onslaughts by the Pakistani bowlers, Hitman went full throttle with his array of shots and reached his 50th FIFTY in ODIs with a delicious maximum over mid-wicket. Ro-Hit now joins Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli in the Indian Club 50 of half-centuries in ODIs.

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September 8, 2023

Jasprit Bumrah: Boom Boom is back! After hopping over to India for the birth of his baby boy, dad Jasprit Bumrah has joined the Indian camp ahead of the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash. Watch your toes, Pakistan! Our man's just itching to knock them over. 

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September 5, 2023 

Four of Mumbai Indians' stars have made it to the World Cup 2023 squad of 15. Skipper RO would be hoping to carry on the proud legacy of leading an Indian team in the mega event, and would be desperate to repeat 2011, putting the heartbreaks of 2015 and 2019 behind us.

Boom Boom Bumrah, fit, raring to run in and smash toes, is set to lead the bowling attack. Our very own pocket dynamo, Ishan Kishan, who churned out a superb counter-attack the other night against Pakistan, and the 360-degree Surya dada form the core of the Indian batting. Come on Paltan, let's put on our Blue and cheer our nation of 1.4 billion to the World Cup trophy at home!

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September 4, 2023 (India vs Nepal)

Rohit Sharma: The Hitman finally hit the ground at the Asia Cup 2023 running with a confident 74 off 59 balls. Laced with six boundaries and five sixes at a strike rate of 125.42, the India skipper led the rain-hit 145-run chase against Nepal and carried the Men in Blue into the Super Fours with a 10-wicket victory.  

Ishan Kishan: Although he didn't get to bat, the pocket dynamo did the job behind the stumps really well in what were tough keeping conditions. After an initial dropped chance, Kishan registered three caught dismissals - one each for Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami and Shardul Thakur and also played a cameo in a run-out.

Jasprit Bumrah: Boom Boom will be out of action for a brief period as he flew home to welcome his newborn son, Angad Jasprit Bumrah, alongside his wife Sanjana. We are delighted and proud to welcome the latest addition to the faMIly.

 

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September 2, 2023 (India vs Pakistan) 

Ishan Kishan: The pocket dynamo brought in the thunder amidst the rain shower at Pallekele. With India struggling at 48/3, Kishan confidently struck 82 in a stern examination by the Pakistan bowlers. A noted middle-overs spin hitter, the left-hander scored 62 off his 82 runs against spin from just 55 deliveries and stitched a 138-run partnership to set the tone for India's counter-attack.

Rohit Sharma: Hitman had those one-off rare disappointing days on the pitch. While he hit two boundaries, Rohit's stay would last only 22 balls after he couldn't defend against a Shaheen Afridi that broke through his stumps.

Jasprit Bumrah: Boom Boom didn't get an opportunity to announce his COMEBACK with the ball, but he did show that he can be an optimal hitter in the lower order. In his 14-ball 16, Bumrah struck three boundaries that got the Indian faithful up on the edge of their seats shouting for more.