In this article, we take a look at the SWOT Analysis of 5-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians, following the IPL 2025 Mega Auction.
Strength
Similar to last season, Mumbai Indians have one of the best playing XIs on paper. With their retentions, they have perhaps the best Indian core in the league.
The trio of Rohit Sharma, Tilak Verma and Suryakumar Yadav will be key to any formidable total they put on the scorecard while the likes of Will Jacks, Hardik Pandya and Naman Dhir will provide the firepower lower down the order.
Mumbai Indians have also done well to strengthen their fast bowling department and provide able support to Jasprit Bumrah. The addition of Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar will give MI quality new ball bowling, something they struggled with last season, as well as releasing Jasprit Bumrah to control the middle and death overs.
Weakness
Just like last season, MI look light in the spin department. They’ve done well to get hold of Afghan mystery spinner Allah Ghazanfar for Rs 4.8 cr, with the young 17-year-old making waves around the globe with his national team. They’ve also done well to get a hold of Mitchell Santner as a back-up to Ghazanfar.
However, with MI lacking depth in the wicketkeeper department, it could result in 28-year-old South African Ryan Rickelton opening the batting alongside Rohit Sharma, which means they only have the 37-year-old Karn Sharma as their Indian lead spinner.
Playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sharma went for over 10 runs per over across both the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Opportunity
Mumbai’s wicketkeeper scarcity will present itself as a great opportunity for both Ryan Rickelton and Robin Minz to cement their places as a bankable asset in one of the toughest T20 leagues in the world.
Being 28-year-old and a South Africa international, it’s likely that Rohit and the MI management will go with Ryan Rickelton as their first choice wicketkeeper. Rickelton had an excellent SA 20 and followed that up with another strong showing in the domestic CSA T20 League. However, the 28-year-old has since struggled to cope with the pressure of international cricket, producing sub-par showing.
Moreover, when playing in low and turning wickets, Mumbai Indians might look to add a second quality spinner in Mitchell Santner. Opening the door for someone like Robin Minz, with Will Jacks, Trent Boult and Allah Ghazanfar as the other three overseas players.
Another young talent who could benefit from the current MI set-up is Punjab’s Naman Dhir. The 24-year-old showed glimpses of what he’s capable of last season, with an unbeaten 62 off 28 balls against Lucknow Super Giants and a 30 off 14 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad. With his ability to bat anywhere from opening the innings to finishing the innings, he’ll play a key role as a floater in this MI playing XI.
Threat
For all of Mumbai’s strong playing XI, the current squad lacks depth in various key positions. They do possess some exciting young prospects, however, there isn’t one experienced player who stands out and makes a bid for a place in the playing XI.
Although some of the international back-ups like Reece Topley and Lizaad Williams add depth to their bowling department, Mumbai lack experience and depth from their Indian back-ups.
In order to make it to the playoffs, MI will need the likes of Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Tilak Verma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah to remain fit throughout the season and be at their best, which wasn’t the case last season.
Probable XII: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Will Jacks, Tilak Verma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Allah Ghazanfar, Karn Sharma/Robin Minz (Impact Sub)
Prediction: 10th
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