One weakness can be camouflaged by a team, not two. This is the subtle message being conveyed through the Mumbai Indians camp. Balance is the key factor in today’s IPL, and no one controls the scales more than Hardik Pandya. The sudden absence of Pandya brought to light certain deficiencies that could not be quantified. Anil Kumble, former skipper of the Indian cricket team, understands this well. According to him, the Mumbai strategy revolves around two main components – Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah.
Kumble underlined Pandya’s value in blunt terms. “You need two players to replace him,” he said, stressing how the all-rounder balances both departments. He added, “It’s not just the batting… it’s his four overs,” pointing to his flexibility with the new ball and at the death.
It became clearer following the alterations to Mumbai. In the absence of Pandya, Mumbai reorganized their formation. New bowlers came into play. The entire balance changed. Kumble chose Bumrah as the two indispensable players for Mumbai. The rationale behind such selection is obvious. One player runs the match from the bowling end, while the other links the innings.
Bumrah carries the pressure, says Aakash Chopra
While Pandya is all about balancing the game, Bumrah is in charge of controlling it. As per former Indian opening batsman Aakash Chopra, here are the reasons why the quick bowler always finds himself under immense pressure. Firstly, Chopra highlighted the fact that Bumrah is someone who “gives you a wicket,” and takes care of important periods like the powerplay, middle overs, and death.
In addition to that, according to Chopra, there is no diminution of Bumrah’s duties irrespective of how well the other bowlers are doing. It could be a case of Trent Boult or Deepak Chahar providing some help, but it makes no difference to Bumrah’s responsibilities.
Overall, the approach taken by Mumbai appears clear yet difficult to execute. The role of Pandya is essential to ensure stability. The presence of Bumrah is needed to make an impact. Leave out one, and you have to make certain modifications. Take away both of them, and you end up with a failed plan.
