MI will play their first IPL 2023 match against GT© BCCI
Mumbai Indians had a forgetful outing in the previous edition of the Indian Premier League as the five-time champions finished at the bottom of the points table. The Rohit Sharma-led side suffered multiple blows due to their poor bowling performance. As the 16th edition of the cash-rich league is just around the corner, the Mumbai-based franchise is dealing with another shock as their star pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the tournament due to back injury. Apart from him, Australia all-rounder Jhye Richardson will also be missing the entire season after he suffered a hamstring injury.
Amid all the stressful moments, former India batter Sunil Gavaskar backed Mumbai Indians and stated that the five-time champions have the potential to win the title once again, despite Bumrah’s absence.
“They have to forget what happened last season and believe that they have the team to do it again. They will miss Jasprit Bumrah. But they have a team that can win the championship once again. I see them in the top three definitely because they have a point to prove after last year’s performance,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
Earlier this month, Bumrah underwent back surgery in New Zealand, as he races against time to get fit for the ICC Cricket World Cup, which will be held in India from October-November this year.
Bumrah has not played any competitive cricket since September last year when he pulled out of the white-ball series against South Africa at home. His withdrawal from the series was due to a stress reaction in his lower back. He attempted a comeback in January during the white-ball home series against Sri Lanka, but niggles in the back did not let it happen either.
Talking about Mumbai Indians, the Rohit Sharma-led side won four out of the 14 matches in the league stage of IPL 2022. MI will now begin their IPL 2023 campaign with their first clash against Royal challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru on April 2.
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