MI team 2020 preview: Full squad list, IPL match schedule and SWOT analysis

The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) is just two days away from getting underway. The franchises are leaving no stone unturned in their preparations as they gear up for the cricketing carnival which is slated to start on Saturday in the UAE. As the IPL 2020 is fast approaching, let us take a look at the Mumbai Indians (MI) team preview, MI squad list, MI team schedule and SWOT analysis.

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Mumbai Indians, who are the reigning champions of the IPL, are also the most successful IPL franchise in the history of the league, with a record four titles to their name. According to the MI team schedule, the Rohit Sharma-led side is set to begin their quest for a fifth IPL title in the tournament opener on Saturday against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings in Dubai. The MI squad is one of the most balanced squads in the tournament with a proper blend of Indian and foreign players.

MI team SWOT analysis

MI team: Strengths

The MI squad has some of the most explosive T20 batsmen in the world. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard among others are proven match-winners, who can turn games on their own. The IPL's Men in Blue added the likes of Chris Lynn and West Indian hard-hitting all-rounder, Shrefane Rutherford, to their batting arsenal at the IPL 2020 auctions, which has further bolstered their batting.

Besides batting, MI squad has a plethora of pace bowlers and their attack is as lethal as any team in the competition. Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan Coulter Nile, James Pattinson and Dhawal Kulkarni form Mumbai's pace attack. MI's bowling attack has a great bench strength and there's a lot of variety which gives Rohit Sharma several options at his disposal.

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MI team: Weaknesses

One weakness that can haunt the MI team in IPL 2020 is their spin bowling. In the UAE, where wickets are conducive to spinners, the MI squad does not have enough quality spinners. They have Krunal Pandya, who has contributed immensely with both bat and ball, however, he is not a big turner of the ball. The MI team also has a young spinner in the form of Rahul Chahar, who has performed well for the franchise, but the 20-year old is still young and needs to hone his skills. Young spinner Anukul Roy is another option but again he lacks the experience to play at such a big level. As a result, Mumbai could toss up between Chahar and the more experienced Jayant Yadav. Their perceived approach towards picking players suited for playing at their home ground, i.e. the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, could prove to be costly this time.

MI team: Opportunities

The IPL 2020 is a great opportunity for young players to put forth their case for the T20 World Cup in Australia next year. Suryakumar Yadav is an excellent batsman who was in sensational form last year. If the right-hander can carry his form in IPL 2020, he could grab the No. 4 position in the Indian team. Ishan Kishan also has a great opportunity to knock the doors of the Indian national team. If Rishabh Pant fails to perform and Ishan Kishan has a great season, he could very well be in selectors' scheme of things.

MI team: Threats

One of the threats that the MI team could face going forward is the form of Kieron Pollard. Over the last few seasons, Kieron Pollard has not performed consistently as he had in the initial seasons of the league. The Caribbean all-rounder's performances will be crucial for the MI team in the league, although he did perform recently well in the CPL 2020 for Trinbago Knight Riders in their unbeaten, title-winning run. Another threat that the MI squad could face is if Jasprit Bumrah gets injured, they do not have a solid Indian pace bowler to fill his shoes except Dhawal Kulkarni. Kulkarni bowls with the new ball and isn't really effective at the death.

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MI team schedule

MI players and squad list for IPL 2020

Aditya Tare, Anmolpreet Singh, Anukul Roy, Dhawal Kulkarni, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Mitchell McClenaghan, Quinton de Kock (Wicket-keeper), Rahul Chahar, Rohit Sharma (Captain), Sherfane Rutherford, Suryakumar Yadav, Trent Boult, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Digvijay Deshmukh, Prince Balwant Rai Singh, Mohsin Khan.

MI squad: Ideal fantasy game picks throughout the season

With MI having a squad which has no injuries so far in the UAE and all players available for selection, here are 3 players to watch out for, who are likely to bring cricket and fantasy gaming lovers, the most points in the IPL 2020 - Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Krunal Pandya. Assuming that these players will not get injured or traded during the tournament, they could be swapped with 3 others for any MI game.

MI past records

• 2008 - 5th
• 2009 - 7th
• 2010 - Runners-up
• 2011 - Playoffs (3rd)
• 2012 - Playoffs (4th)
• 2013 - Winner
• 2014 - Playoffs (4th)
• 2015 - Winner
• 2016 - 5th
• 2017 - Winner
• 2018 - 5th
• 2019 – Winner

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IMAGE COURTESY: PTI