Jasprit Bumrah’s IPL Debut will be a memorable and historic event in the competition. IPL was set up to give youngsters a good platform to showcase their skills. Team India was to be the intended beneficiary. Although Virat Kohli also grew in the IPL, he had done well in Ranji Trophy and the U19 tournaments to establish himself as a popular name. But, in Bumrah’s case, his rise can be attributed only to the Indian Premier League.
Ever since he made his debut for the Mumbai Indians, Jasprit Bumrah has been an important part of the unit. During this period, he has won multiple trophies for the franchise. In this article, we take a look at the Mumbai Indians playing XI in Jasprit Bumrah’s IPL debut.
Openers: Ricky Ponting (C) and Sachin Tendulkar
It was truly an iconic opening duo. After having done so much for their respective countries, Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar came to bat together for the Mumbai Indians. It was a feast for the cricket fans in general. Although Ponting had not been extra-ordinary in T20’s, in the BBL edition that year, the Australian had done well. Hence, he got a chance to feature in this squad. Interestingly, he was also the captain of the unit.
Middle-Order: Dinesh Karthik (WK), Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu
Mumbai Indians always use good domestic batsmen in their middle-order. In that game, it was Dinesh Karthik, Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu who were part of the XI. While DK was in good form, Rohit was the local boy and eventually became the captain of the squad. Since then, he has been the core member of the MI franchise. Ambati Rayudu has been a consistent performer in the IPL. He began his career with the Mumbai Indians after staying away from the league for the first few campaigns.
All-Rounders: Kieron Pollard and Jacob Oram
Kieron Pollard has been part of the MI setup ever since he came into the franchise. On very few occasions did Pollard miss a game due to bad form. Partnering with him was veteran Kiwi all-rounder Jacob Oram. Although he did not get a chance to bat that game, he had a good outing with the ball. He gave away just 22 runs in the four overs that he bowled. Hence, the Kiwi was also a witness to Jasprit Bumrah’s IPL debut.
Bowlers: Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell Johnson, Munaf Patel and Jasprit Bumrah
Apart from Jasprit Bumrah, Mumbai Indians had a strong bowling unit in this game. Harbhajan Singh was still going well and was the leader of the spin attack. Aussie import Mitchell Johnson enjoyed a few good seasons at MI. He, too, was part of the unit. World Cup-winning pacer Munaf Patel was the other domestic pacer in the department.
