Mumbai Indians look to bring back the glory days

Ahead of last year's Twenty20 World Cup, Rohit Sharma was asked about the prospect of captaining a player he had played under just a few weeks earlier. If that was an uncomfortable situation, Hardik Pandya may be finding himself in an even more complex position. He will be leading two players - Suryakumar Yadav and, of course, Rohit - both of whom he played under for India until recently.

Adding to the mix is another key player from the Mumbai Indians camp, Jasprit Bumrah, who is as much a leader as Rohit, Pandya, and Surya. Bumrah captained India not too long ago. This is a unique situation within the MI camp where past, present, and even future - Tilak Varma, for instance - intersect with one another. But given the professional nature of the environment, all co-exist quite comfortably.

However, it hasn't been easy for Pandya. He faced opposition, if not within the dressing room, but certainly outside of it. Whether in home or away games, he was continuously booed last year for replacing Rohit at the helm, and things became worse as the team kept losing games. It had the worst possible finish last season, despite the embarrassment of riches in both quality and quantity of players in their ranks.

Things may be different this season, as much water has flowed into the Arabian Sea since then. Pandya's stellar performances in the two global competitions over the past eight to nine months have earned him a loyal fanbase, and he is a hero now. In the coming edition of the IPL, Mumbai Indians should be as formidable as they were during the five seasons when they won the title. They will be the team to beat in IPL 2025. Watch out!

Full Squad:

Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Tilak Varma, Jasprit Bumrah, Naman Dhir, Will Jacks, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mitchell Santner, Ryan Rickelton, Reece Topley, Robin Minz, Karn Sharma, Vignesh Puthur, Bevon Jacobs, Satyanarayana Raju, Raj Bawa, Ashwani Kumar, Arjun Tendulkar, Corbin Bosch and Krishnan Srijith.

The Best XII as things stand:

Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya* (c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Raj Bawa, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Reece Topley

*Hardik will not be available for the opening game owing to a one-match ban, while Bumrah, who is recovering from a back stress, is set to miss the first few games

Injury and Availability:

There remains a big question mark over Jasprit Bumrah, the franchise's No. 1 retention and the world's No. 1 pacer. He has been sidelined by back stress since early January, and there is no clarity on when he will rejoin the squad. What can be said with some degree of certainty is that he will return sooner rather than later, meaning he may miss only a few games.

The player with a point to prove is...

Rohit Sharma, of course. Strange but true. Despite 18 years of international and IPL career under his belt, he will be under scrutiny in the next couple of months. A lot, actually, is riding on the former MI and current India skipper despite a reasonably good last season - 417 runs at an average of 32 and a strike rate of 150. He will still be the focal point in more ways than one. The team clearly relies on the solid start he provides at the top of the order. More vitally, his performance will indicate where he stands in terms of rhythm and form, which in many ways could influence the national selectors' thinking when they pick the squad for the upcoming five-Test series against England. Although one could argue that T20 form should not be a criterion for Test selection, it will still carry an overwhelming weight in the case of Rohit.

Player who could have a breakout season...

Ryan Rickelton. He is coming off a strong season in the SA20, and there's a lot of buzz surrounding the 28-year-old, with some even predicting he could be the next Quinton de Kock of South Africa - a left-handed opener who also keeps wickets. His partnership with Rohit Sharma at the top of the order could be one of the standout features of IPL 2025.

Fixture build-up and run-in

Mumbai Indians are notorious for bad starts, and they come home to the Wankhede only on March 31, 10 days into the season. That may not be an ideal draw for a side which wants to avoid the early reversals. Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans, their opponents in the first two games, are formidable at home and Mumbai will be hoping for at least one win from the first two encounters to avoid the famously jinxed start. Their real chances depend on early and mid-April games, when they play three of the four matches at home. They need to solidify their standing in the points table in that period.

A home ground start to watch out for this season

Nowhere is the team's home-away contrast more striking than in the batting numbers of Suryakumar Yadav. Over the last two seasons, Surya has an impeccable record at home but has largely struggled outside of Wankhede - 577 runs in 13 games at home as against 373 runs in 14 away matches. The 360-degree batter that he is, the India T20I captain will undoubtedly look to improve on this in the upcoming season.