Mumbai Indians

After an excellent exhibition of cricketing skill in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Mumbai Indians boys are all set to put their skills through another test – the ICC Champions Trophy. The tournament returns after a hiatus of four years. Three of our boys will be representing the Indian team, while two of them will be part of the Sri Lankan and the Kiwi setup. Let’s take a look at what we can expect from each of the MI boys at the big tournament.

Rohit Sharma

The Mumbai Indians skipper will be boosted with confidence after lifting the IPL for the third time. Rohit Sharma is a player who can be really dangerous when he has confidence backing him. He will slot into the opener’s slot for India. We all know how devastating he can be once he gets his eyes in. He is the only player in ODI history to have scored two double centuries. Rohit had a good run in India’s title-winning run in the last Champions Trophy, scoring two half-centuries and giving the team good starts on a few occasions. He will look to add to that tally in this edition.

Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah will be making his Champions Trophy debut this year. He was exemplary for Mumbai Indians in the tenth edition of the IPL, and was very impressive for the Indian team before that. One of the finest limited overs bowlers in the Indian circuit, Jasprit Bumrah could be the key for Kohli in the death overs. When most teams leak a lot of runs, Bumrah can be the go-to man for India, both to contain batsmen and take wickets. His accurate Yorkers and deceptive changes in pace can leave the best in the business searching for the ball.

Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya is the certified all-rounder in the Indian team. With the capability of going big in the final overs and finding the boundaries, he could prove to be a fine finisher for the side. His sharp bowling has given India crucial breakthroughs in the past. Hardik has the potential to fill the fifth bowler’s slot – something a lot of teams struggle finding in their squad. Hardik showed how dangerous he can be with the bat with his quick-fire 80 in the warm-up game against Bangladesh. Playing his first Champions Trophy, he will be confident heading into India’s first game against Pakistan.

Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler will have a point to prove in the Champions Trophy after his lean patch in the previous edition, which was also staged in England. The wicket-keeper batsman opened for Mumbai Indians and was a destructive force in the Powerplay. He will be batting in the middle-order for England and has enjoyed vast success for them. He scored an unbeaten 65, finishing off England’s innings in an ODI against South Africa a few days ago. He will be raring to go and work on his numbers in the Champions Trophy. Watch out for those powerful and cheeky hits!

Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga came into his own at the business end of the IPL. Wickets evaded him during the league stages, but he brought out all his experience and bowled exceptionally in Mumbai Indians’ second Qualifier and the final. He will be on Sri Lankan duty in the Champions Trophy, for a team he has won many matches single-handedly. Malinga has tasted success in the tournament, in the past. His pace may be down, but his bag of tricks is still full and ready to be unleashed on the opposition batsmen. It will indeed be a joy to watch him bowl in England.

Asela Gunaratne

Asela Gunaratne has had a very good year! He played a couple of match-winning knocks against Australia, and that got him picked by us in the IPL auction. He may not have got a game during the tournament, but has played a couple of ODIs and the warm-up games for Sri Lanka. He scored an unbeaten 70 against the Aussies in one of the warm-up matches, and is ready to take up the responsibility in the Lankan middle-order.

Tim Southee

Tim Southee has just featured in two games for New Zealand in the Champions Trophy. He has been around for a while for the Kiwis and will like to improve his numbers in the tournament. The conditions in England will suit his kind of bowling. He can be a major threat with the new ball, possessing the skill to swing it both ways off the same spot on the pitch. He had played three games for Mumbai Indians in the IPL and looked pretty sharp with his line and length. Southee can be more than handy in the death overs too, with his ability to bowl Yorkers.

Mitchell McClenaghan

The Kiwis couldn’t make it to the semi-final of the Champions Trophy in 2013. However, Mitchell McClenaghan wasn’t disappointed with his individual performance in the edition. In the 3 games he played, Mitch picked up 11 wickets. He claimed two four-fers and a three-fer. He will hope that he can continue bowling well for New Zealand and take them into the next stage in this edition. McClenaghan was a prime bowler for us as well, throughout the season. He will look to replicate the form in England.

We are the champions of IPL 2017, and all our players representing their respective teams in the Champions Trophy will play like champions too. The pitches in England will be an even match between batsmen and bowlers, and our boys will look to take toll of what’s there on offer. The format will be different, but ODIs have a close resemblance to the way T20 cricket is played. Let’s hope that all our boys perform well in the Champions Trophy.