If there ever exists a team in cricket that adequately matches the ability of Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United to make historic comebacks at crucial junctures, it’s the Mumbai Indians. Out of the 12 seasons that have been played in the coveted IPL so far, Mumbai Indians have won 4 out of them, undeniably making them the most successful team in the history of IPL. Graced with some brilliant players such as Rohit Sharma, De Kock, Yuvraj Singh, Pollard, Malinga, and Bumrah, I can almost be assured of power-packed performances from them in the upcoming 13th season of the IPL.
Reasons to Bet on Mumbai Indians
As of now, you must have understood that MI is the most prominent team to win the IPL20. Although there are many reasons for anyone to bet on the MI, the three most remarkable reasons I find to bet on the Mumbai Indians to win the IPL20 are as follow:
1. They Win a Lot:
Under the captaincy of Rohit, the MI has high potential to keep the momentum running till the end of the season. While they are habitual of perhaps relatively slow starts, they tend to pick up their pace in the middle of the tournament and their subsequent rise is a brilliant spectacle to witness. Out of the 187 matches played by MI over the last 12 years, they have won 107 games, taking the team seven victories ahead of CSK, which follows closely behind at 100 victories. While the win % ratio of the Mumbai Indians, at 57.22%, stands at 2nd place in the league, they lead the tally in the number of games won. You can quite quickly ascertain their knack of winning games on the trot by analyzing their impressive numbers. In addition to this, Hitman Rohit Sharma is the 2nd Highest run-scorer in IPL of all times, having scored an impressive 4898 runs over the last 12 IPL seasons.
2. The MI has 4 Finals since 2013:
The Mumbai Indians may not have begun their IPL journey with early tournament victories or instant accolades. However, they have pulled themselves out of the initial disappointment of the first few seasons and have subsequently gone on to become the most successful team of the IPL, winning 4 out of the five finals played by them. With an overall win ratio of 57.22% and a final win ratio of 80%, coupled with some splendid players, MI has a strong chance of winning the next edition as well. While 2 out of the said four finals have gone down to the wire, with CSK being MI’s victim on both occasions, it does not signify that the performances given by the players weren’t solid, or that the team can’t dominate. MI is primarily habitual of dominating the latter part of the tournament and taking the opposition by utter surprise.
3. The Unity and the Performance of the Players:
One of the biggest strengths is MI’s rich arsenal of players who have this inherent ability to stick together and playing as a unit. Armed with a comprehensive batting unit consisting of Rohit Sharma, SK Yadav, De Kock, Hardik Pandya, Pollard, and Ben Cutting. Rohit is in a rich vein of form having scored runs in the India and Bangladesh 2019 series.
Add to this a strong bowling attack such as Bumrah, Malinga, Milne, and McClenaghan, along with a rich coaching unit; the squad is a perfect mixture of youth and experience.
If this unit sticks together, this squad has a very strong chance of coming out on top in the coming IPL season again. Additionally, it is an added impetus that players such as Yuvraj and Malinga, who were once accused of having entirely lost their touch, have recently displayed their old prowess.
MI to Win the IPL?
While it is impossible to predict a clear winner in a tournament as power-packed as the IPL, I can trust the balance of probabilities to favor MI yet again. After all, a team that has reached 5 out of 12 finals played can never be ruled out as potential champions. Even if they have a rocky start, they have shown us on various occasions that they are more than just capable of making a grand comeback.
