The Mumbai Indians are one of the biggest franchises in the IPL. Sitting at the top of the all time standings when it comes to wins alongside the Chennai Super Kings, the Indians have been able to win five IPL titles and will be hoping that this year brings about a sixth.
The Indians head into the 2025 IPL as the bookmakers favourites and with a deep and loaded squad, they will hope to end the season as the IPL kings once more, but there is plenty of work to do.
Last year was the worst in Mumbai’s history as the team would go on to finish bottom of the league table, only recording four wins from their fourteen allotted games. Despite the presence of Rohit Sharma it is once again Hardik Pandya who will lead the Indians throughout this campaign and there will be high hopes that the perceived tension between two of India’s finest players would have eased.
The bookmakers have plenty of faith that Mumbai can bounce back but they certainly have plenty to prove. Ahead of the new IPL season starting, let’s go through everything that you need to know about the Mumbai Indians.
Who are the Mumbai Indians?
The Mumbai Indians are one of the eight founding franchises that competed in the very first IPL tournament back in 2008 and since the tournament’s inception, Mumbai have risen to become one of the tournament’s greatest teams.
Mumbai has always been an attractive destination for some of the greatest players to have ever played the game. The biggest legend of all Sachin Tendulkar was proud to represent his hometown franchise and alongside the likes of Harbajhan Singh, Ricky Ponting and Dwayne Bravo was able to lead the Indians to several glorious days.
These days Tendulkar is still connected to the franchise but the ownership of the team falls under the umbrella of Reliance Industries. One of India’s biggest companies, the strong backing of Reliance has constantly ensured that the Indians can pay their stars huge money and they are regularly attracting the very best players in the world via the IPL draft.
After a poor season which fell well below the Indians usual high standards, everyone connected with the team will hope that the team will be able to roar back with a vengeance this year.
Where do the Mumbai Indians play?
The Mumbai Indians play their home games at the Wankhede Stadium. Built in 1975, the Wankhede is one of India’s most cherished grounds and regularly hosts the Indian national side across all three formats of the game.
Unlike some of the vast arenas that have started to dominate the Indian cricketing landscape, the Wankhede Stadium is one of the most intimate stadiums in the country. Able to host just under 40,000 passionate fans, the stadium provided a memorable location when India were able to win the World Cup back in 2011.
Mumbai is cricket mad and every home game that the Indians play this year will be highly attended. In order to ensure that the team takes their usual customary spot at the top end of the table, they will need to make sure they make the most of their home form.
Who will the Mumbai Indians be playing this year?
Each of the teams in this year’s IPL will play fourteen matches in the initial league phase.
With the ten teams in the tournament being placed in two separate groups, the Indians are in Group B and will play against the Delhi Capitals, Gujurat Titans, Lucknow Super Giants and the Sunrisers twice. They will also play rivals the Chennai Super Kings twice and the Kolkata Night Riders, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals and RCB once.
It’s a tricky list of games but they will hope to have enough quality to qualify in the top four spots and qualify for the playoffs.
Who are the stars of this Mumbai Indians team?
After last year’s disappointing campaign the Mumbai Indians have a team that looks like they could challenge for the title this year.
Despite advancing towards the twilight of his career, Rohit Sharma will once again open the batting for the Indians and if on song he has the abilities to get the Indians off to a flyer when trying to either set a total or chase.
There is no subtlety to Sharma’s game. Now purely an explosive hitter, Sharma has latterly developed a real hit or miss reputation. Likely to score either huge runs or give his wicket away cheaply, it’s always a bit of a mystery to know what version of Rohit will turn up. If the destructive force of nature arrives, the Indians could well be in business, if his IPL struggles continue as they did last year, the Indians could find themselves chasing their tails as they did on numerous occasions last season.
If Sharma fails to fire then much of the batting spotlight will fall on Sky Yadav. One of the most highly respected batters in the world, Yadav can alter the momentum of an innings in just a few hits. He was also below his best last season and will hope to remind everyone of his qualities this time around.
Much of the reasoning behind the Indians being the bookmakers favourites is because of the skills of Jasprit Bumrah. Arguably on track to become one of India’s greatest ever bowlers, it is widely believed that Bumrah is the best T20 bowler in the world, but there are question marks over his participation in this year’s competition.
Having been sidelined due to a stress fracture in his back, Bumrah sat out all of India’s victorious Champions Trophy campaign and is set to miss several games of this year’s IPL.
Without doubt the jewel in the Mumbai crown, his absence will be heavily felt but several others will need to step up in his absence.
Trent Boult and Reece Topley will do their best to replace the skills of Bumrah and they will be ably supported by the spin of Mitchell Santner. There will be plenty of expectation that as well as leading the team, Hardik Pandya will need to take key wickets.
The Indians should have enough in the bowling department to cover for the absence of Bumrah but if their star man can play, the Indians have an attack that most sides will be fearful of.
What do the bookmakers say, and what is our verdict?
It’s easy to see why the bookmakers believe that the Indians are the team to beat in the 2025 IPL.
Containing four members of India’s all conquering T20 side, a team containing Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Sky Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah, these four players can lead the Indians back to glory, but it’s fair to say that there are plenty of question marks.
The dressing room dynamics were way off last year as the power struggle between Sharma and Pandya reared its ugly head with several players unable to adapt to the new style of leadership. There will be hopes that the issues between the two men are now a thing of the past.
Although no one can deny just how good Rohit Sharma is, he can be very hit and miss at the top of the order and if Bumrah either fails to play due to his injuries or takes some time getting back up to speed, the Indians could be in for a long, hard season.
Do they have the capabilities to win the IPL? Yes, definitely, however will they? With a few questions to answer and with several players needing to prove their form, it’s fair to see why many want to take them on.
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Tom Gibson
Tom Gibson, 33, possesses a keen interest in cricket combined with expertise in betting. Based in Newcastle, he is well-acquainted with the dynamics of the game and the betting world. With numerous years analyzing cricket matches and odds, Tom offers a unique perspective on the intersection of the sport and betting strategies