Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has given his thoughts on Mumbai Indians’ chances of making it to the playoffs in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season. Mumbai Indians, who are the five-time IPL champions, have struggled to find their rhythm this season and currently sit in the seventh position on the points table. After a couple of back-to-back losses, they managed to bounce back with three consecutive wins, but their previous game against Punjab Kings ended in a 13-run loss.
The Mumbai Indians have won three of their last five games and are struggling with their team combinations in the early stages of the tournament. Speaking to Sportskeeda, Kaif highlighted the weakness of the Mumbai Indians’ bowling attack and the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. He also noted that the bowling unit features too many new bowlers and that the team’s most experienced bowler is Piyush Chawla, who remained unsold last season.
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However, Mumbai’s batting has been performing well, and Kaif believes that they could still make it to the playoffs if they manage to improve their bowling. He also noted that Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma will have to manage with the players he has now, despite not being too happy with the team’s performance in the IPL auction.
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Kaif also expressed his concern over their weak bowling attack, with no reputed Indian seamer in their squad. The absence of Jasprit Bumrah has hurt the franchise, and Jofra Archer has not been able to perform at his usual level. Kaif believes that they have the potential to make it to the playoffs if they can manage to improve their team combinations and strengthen their bowling attack. However, their next game against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, April 25, will be a tough challenge.
With eight matches left in the league round, the Mumbai Indians will be facing Gujarat Titans in their next game, while the Titans are coming off a close win against Lucknow Super Giants. As the IPL 2023 season approaches its halfway mark, the points table is still wide open for the top six teams. Rajasthan Royals currently sit on top of the table, but with movement expected in the second half of the season, there is still everything to play for. Fans of Mumbai Indians will be hoping that their team can turn things around and make a strong push for the playoffs in the remaining matches of the season.