- May 27, 2025
Let’s be honest here – Mumbai Indians (MI) without their well-known batting stalwarts is like pizza without cheese. There’s something wrong with the picture, right? Now that IPL 2025 is starting to reach the business end, fans have begun to wonder how MI will manage to put runs on the board with some of their veteran run machines not in the mix. But whoa, there is no need to get excessive doom and gloom. If anything, this could be the shake-up that the 5-time champions need to remake their batting strategy. A combination of new talent and returning veteran campaigners, MI’s batting narrative is set to be a wild ride, season.
Fresh Faces, Fresh Hope: Why Change Might Actually Be Good
You would expect a team to panic losing experienced batters. But MI? Not really. Based on expert opinion, the introductions of Tavare to replace Keiron Pollard, of Bairstow to replace Quinton de Kock, and of Asalanka to replace Hardik Pandya could be just the reset MI needs psychologically to move on. Bairstow, while not in great recent white-ball form, has hosted IPL experience and has the “no fear” approach MI needs at the top. Asalanka, meanwhile, is not going to roll over either – he is as crafty against spin, can contribute with the ball, and he gives the middle order a balance.
A mental refresh in cricket can be as important as the technical nuances of playing the game. MI can benefit from some players who do not carry the mental weight of failures from earlier in the season. This mental reset could shift the team to fresh energy and uncluttered expectations, and who knows, maybe a few bowling attacks will be taken by surprise.
Tilak, Naman & the Homegrown Test: Time for the Indian Core to Step Up
Here’s the thing – foreign players can provide you with firepower, but it’s the Indian players who provide consistency throughout an IPL season. MI needs those young Indian guns to step up, and Tilak Varma has been quiet in terms of performances during recent matches, but we know what he can do when he’s playing well. He is not only a glamorous player, but also a player who can sit on a game and take it deep!
Then there’s Naman Dhir and Shourya – still trying to find their feet, but there’s promise there. With Rohit Sharma more likely to play anchor, the focus will be on this trio to turn on the X-factor, and while they have a sink-or-swim moment here. Watching young players develop potential into performance gives teams like MI depth – and a dream.
Bairstow’s Red Ball Luggage: Will It Travel Well in T20?
Now let’s address the elephant in the room – Jonny Bairstow’s recent cricketing experience. Starting straight from red ball duties for Yorkshire in swinging English conditions does not provide ideal preparation for subcontinental T20 madness. And if you are an IPL fan, you know that the rhythm of the game is important.
That puts Bairstow in a bit of a flux. He has pedigree in the history of the IPL, but can he switch back on quickly? It’s a double-edged sword – if he can switch on quickly, MI gets themselves an opener that can bully the powerplay; if he cannot, MI are putting more pressure on an already fragile middle order.
Having said that, you can never rule out a player of Bairstow’s quality. MI will want him to find his form quickly because an in-form Bairstow solves half of their powerplay problems.
But the key question remains—do the youngsters rise to the occasion, or do the pressures of the playoffs expose the cracks? Only time (and a few match-winning innings) will tell. But in the meantime, MI fans, buckle up—this is about to get interesting.
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