Irfan Pathan has opined that Mumbai Indians do not have a pace bowler to support Jasprit Bumrah in the ongoing season of Indian Premier League. The five-time champions, largely due to lacklustre bowling, lost all their opening three fixtures, which forced them to sit ninth on the points table.
Mumbai Indians, traditionally slow starters in the Indian Premier League (IPL), had a torrid start in the ongoing season of the cash-rich league. They have lost all three matches so far in the tournament and were placed ninth on the points table, only above Sunrisers Hyderabad. While their batters did stage impressive shows sometimes, their bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah, did not seem as lethal as they used to be.
The MI bowlers conceded 193 in their allotted twenty overs in their only IPL game this season where they bowled first. In the other two, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) chased down 162 in 16 overs, and Delhi Capitals saw off the target of 178 in 18.2 overs.
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan came up with his thoughts on MI’s performance in the ongoing IPL 2022. Pathan opined that he is hopeful about the Rohit Sharma-led side making a comeback, but they do not have a fast bowler to support Bumrah.
“Mumbai Indians know how to make a comeback from situations like these. They’ve done it in the past, back in 2014 and 2015. In IPL 2015, they were in a similar situation and came from behind to lift the title, but that team was a little different. This year, MI doesn’t have a bowler who can support (Jasprit) Bumrah well. This is a major headache for the captain,” Pathan said on Star Sports’ show Cricket Live.
Further, Pathan said he is impressed with the performance that MI batters have done it so far in the season. He also mentioned Tilak Varma, who has been a serious find of this season.
“MI’s batting still looks good as they have young Tilak Varma doing well, Suryakumar Yadav starred in his comeback game, and Ishan Kishan has been firing at the top,” he added.
“You hope Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard will also score runs as the tournament progresses but their bowling department looks weak, especially the pace attack. Traditionally, the pitches in Maharashtra have suited fast bowlers and if the seamers do their job well, then Murugan Ashwin will also return with better figures.”
The MI will be seeking to secure their maiden win in IPL 2022 when they take on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Saturday (April 9) at MCA Stadium, Pune.
