Where they finished:

The Mumbai Indians finished on top of the table and successfully defended their title.

They won the IPL for the second season in a row.

Season Overview:

Following a long break, most players have been rusty.

The rustiness was present in the Mumbai camp as well, with Rohit and Bumrah starting slowly.

Mumbai Indians got rid of the rustiness early and found a settled eleven.

They didn’t make too many changes as the tournament went on.

Despite Rohit Sharma’s absence, the Mumbai Indians continued to do well and indeed dominated IPL 2020.

Dominance is the only word that can come to mind as the side showed why they are the best T20 franchise in the world.

Positives:

Mumbai Indians found the right eleven early in the season and had a few back players like Kishan and Saurabh Tiwary ready when required.

The team focused on positive cricket as most players topped the six-hitting charts.

Two uncapped Indian wicket-keepers formed the backbone of the batting line-up.

Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan, along with Quinton De Kock, carried the batting line-up and made the job easier for the explosive middle-order.

The middle-order consisted of the Pandya brothers, Ishan Kishan and Kieron Pollard.

All four players can hit big shots and have allowed the Mumbai Indians to play positive cricket throughout their innings.

Quinton De Kock and Ishan Kishan finished with over 500 runs, while Suryakumar Yadav scored 480 runs.

Although Rohit Sharma didn’t score too many runs, he deserves a special mention as he came good when it mattered the most.

He hit a vital half-century in the final against a top-class bowling unit to ensure the Mumbai Indians reach their target comfortably.

The side had robust back-up options as they didn’t miss Malinga, who opted out of the IPL, and Rohit Sharma, who got injured mid-way.

Mumbai Indians defined consistency as they didn’t lose more than one game in a stretch.

The batting line-up has been very intimidating, with one six hitters following the other.

Though the batting line-up is very intimidating, the strength for the Mumbai Indians across seasons has been the bowling.

Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah supported each other well.

Trent Boult has been a critical bowler in the powerplay and has allowed Jasprit Bumrah to be used in other game stages, reducing the burden on Bumrah.

Rahul Chahar has also done an excellent job, taking up the lead-spinner role at a young age.

He has been crucial in the middle-overs, picking up wickets regularly for the Mumbai Indians.

Negatives:

Pointing out the negatives from a champion side, which won its second title in a row, is challenging.

Two titles in two years, using the least number of players, shows the strength of the side.

Before the IPL started, the spin department looked a little light.

While Rahul Chahar has done well to carry the spin bowling, a little more support may be welcomed.

The support doesn’t need to come from anyone else as they have the likes of Krunal Pandya in the squad.

The third pacer has also has been a minor weak link despite quality bowlers like Nathan Coulter Nile and James Pattinson.

Both bowlers have been rotated in the eleven and have done a decent job, but few cases couldn’t build on the opening bowlers’ pressure.

Mumbai Indians may have also missed a sixth bowling option with Hardik Pandya, not bowling.

They did have Kieron Pollard to fill in, but Pandya’s absence is still tough to cover due to the options he provides.

Hardik Pandya’s absence is likely to be felt for any side he plays for being a big-hitting batsman and hit the deck fast bowler.

Star Performers:

Quinton De Kock:

With Rohit Sharma not at his best, Quinton De Kock took it upon himself to provide good starts.

He has been consistent throughout the year and has taken apart the best bowlers in the opposition.

He finished with 503 three runs and four half-centuries.

Ishan Kishan:

Ishan Kishan played fourteen games for the Mumbai Indians and has still finished as the leading run-scorer.

Ishan Kishan hit some surprising sixes with short and small stature and finished with the tournament’s most maximums.

He took up various roles at the top and middle-order side and did the job successfully in both positions.

He hit 516 runs with thirty sixes in IPL 2020.

Suryakumar Yadav:

Suryakumar Yadav has been a consistent player for the Mumbai Indians since 2018.

He has taken up the number three spot and batted responsibly for his side.

This season he continued his run and had quite a few match-winning knocks.

He is a rare player who can pull unorthodox shots with ease and remains an exceptional buy for the Mumbai Indians in 2018.

Jasprit Bumrah:

Starting slowly, Jasprit Bumrah quickly went on to show why he is the best.

He picked up 27 wickets in IPL 2020 and finished as the second-highest wicket-taker.

He has been a trump card for the Mumbai Indians, bowling big overs, and this season has been no different.

Trent Boult:

In Malinga’s absence, Trent Boult took up the responsibility of the second pacer.

Trent Boult has been among the wickets throughout IPL 2020 and has been an outstanding bowler in the powerplay.

His finals’ performance was just one out of many this season, where Trent Boult broke teams early on.

He finished with 25 wickets and won the season award cred power player for his first six overs performance.

Things to look at for the future:

With two titles in a row, there are not too many gaps in the Mumbai Indians line-up to cover.

They’ve got a strong pace attack with back-ups and a powerful batting line-up while the bench also contains players like Chris Lynn.

With Malinga likely to return for IPL 2021, the bowling attack will get stronger as they would have a third pacer who is a T20 giant.

A pace attack consisting of Bumrah, Boult, and Malinga is likely to intimidate and create pressure on many batsmen and is what we may see soon.

A target in the auction could be an extra spin option.

The spin bowling has been good, with Rahul Chahar taking up the responsibility of lead spinner.

Though he has done well, he hasn’t got as much support from Krunal Pandya while they’ve only got Jayant Yadav on the bench.

So an extra spinner is likely to be on the mind of Mumbai Indians as they gear up for the auctions.