IPL: Resurgent Mumbai Indians may prove to be a handful in play-offs

It’s not for nothing that the resurgent Mumbai Indians are often considered dangerous opponents in the IPL. After being down in the dumps last season, the five-time champions managed to get their act together after a slippery start in 2025 as well — squeezing in as the fourth team in the play-offs.

Now that they have done it — and despite losing to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru just now, as we hit 'Publish' — one counts them out at one’s own peril. The Gujarat Titans know this only too well, ahead of their Eliminator in Mullanpur on Friday, 30 May.

The Shubman Gill-led team, which had looked most consistent in the first half of the season and had won both their league ties against the Mumbai Paltan this season, will have to start all over again.

A six-match winning streak in the middle phase of the tournament is not easy, but this is where all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle started falling in place for the Mumbai Indians.

Jasprit Bumrah, who joined the action in the fifth game, gave their new ball attack additional venom along with Trent Boult and is sixth in the top wicket-takers’ list this season, with 17 wickets at an economy rate of 6.33. The New Zealander, meanwhile, picked up 19 scalps to place third in the Purple Cap race. The onus will be on these two to stop the dangerous duo of Gill and Sai Sudarshan at the top of the order.

One of the reasons behind the Mumbai Indians failing to live up to their enviable track record in recent years has been their inconsistency in the batting department.

It must hence be a relief for head coach Mahela Jayawardene to see Suryakumar Yadav batting the way he is known for — either giving a late boost to their totals or playing the chasemaster to figure in third spot in the Orange Cap race with 640 runs.

They could be missing South African Ryan Rickleton though, who in his debut season has proved his worth with a welcome consistency and drive, alongside Rohit Sharma as opener.

The Mumbai Indians have, however, done well to snap up a late replacement in veteran Jonny Bairstow — who went unsold in the mega auction. Bairstow may not have been in the best of form in recent times, but the England blaster has a tremendous record in the IPL and can be a match-winner should he get going.

The Titans, meanwhile, will be missing Jos Buttler — who had been a big source of strength in the No. 3 position, along with the Gill–Sudarshan duo for the past two months. They have also acquired Sri Lankan keeper-batter Kusal Mendis from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) — but he is not exactly in the same league.