Rules may favour batsmen, grounds may be smaller and fans may love watching fours and sixes. But, you still can’t take one of the most integral parts of cricket out of it – bowling. Bowlers are the ones who stop teams from posting a huge total or defending a paltry one. When in rhythm, they have the ability to send a stump cartwheeling and making a batsman look sheepish. Mumbai Indians has one of the most illustrious bowling line-ups in the VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL). You can even say that we’re spoiled for choice. Our bowlers, we must admit, give selection headaches to our captain. Let’s take a look at the vast arsenal we possess this season.

Lasith Malinga:

Without doubt, this Sri Lankan legend is the spearhead of our attack. One of the most feared T20 bowlers in the world Lasith Malinga, can singlehandedly run through any batting order. The highest wicket-taker in the VIVO IPL, Slinga has been part of our squad from the inaugural season. Malinga’s variations in pace and length have unsettled the best in the business.

Harbhajan Singh:

Harbhajan Singh aka the ‘Turbanator’ has been at the helm of our spin department since the IPL’s inception! The experienced offie even led us to our first major title, in the Champions League T20, in 2011. While Bhajji has bamboozled batsmen with his bag of tricks in Tests and ODIs, his skill-set has been enviable in T20s too. His experiences brings an added advantage of adjusting to challenging match situations with a high success rate.

Jasprit Bumrah:

A bowler’s action doesn’t need to be the prettiest or the smoothest to be effective, as Jasprit Bumrah can testify. He was one of the finds for Mumbai Indians and batsmen still find him hard to pick with a rather unorthodox release point in his delivery stride. One of the best sights of the VIVO IPL is when Bumrah and Malinga bowl in tandem and nail their yorkers.

Mitchell Johnson:

This lethal pacer needs no introduction! The very sight of him marking his run up send shivers down a batsman’s spine. Johnson was part of our squad when we won the VIVO IPL for the first time in 2013. He returns this season after being snapped up in the auction. Still the threatening bowler he has always been, as proven in the Big Bash League, it would be fun to watch him with the rest of our boys.

Vinay Kumar:

Experience, cunningness, and brains – Vinay Kumar is a veteran in the Indian cricket circuit. The Karnataka captain has been in prime form with the ball and with the bat at times too, in the recent past. Kumar is known to mix up his pace smartly and surprise batsmen with short deliveries too.

Mitchell McClenaghan:

Naturally aggressive on the field, Mitchell McClenaghan’s ‘never-say-die’ attitude stands out even when things aren’t going his team’s way. In Malinga’s absence in 2016, McClenaghan came to the fore and led the pace attack well, ending up as the leading wicket-taker (16) for Mumbai Indians. After joining the squad in 2015, Mitch has become a vital member for us.

Tim Southee:

An outright swing bowler with an elegant action, Tim Southee can be dangerous with the new ball and can bowl pinpoint yorkers at the death, to keep the opposition team’s final total in check. He adds to the existing Kiwi flavour of McClengahan and Shane Bond, who is the bowling coach.

Deepak Punia:

Deepak Punia has the best bowling figures by an Indian bowler in T20 cricket. A right-arm medium pacer, Punia has made his presence felt in Indian domestic cricket. He may not have played a game for Mumbai Indians in the IPL yet, but the amount he has learnt from the big-name bowlers around him will surely help him when he does so.

Kulwant Khejroliya:

Here’s our newest inclusion to our bowling department! Kulwant Khejroliya is a left-arm quick, one of many in a notable list in our squad. Khejroliya has played for Delhi in domestic cricket and was picked up by Mumbai Indians in the 2017 auction. After grooming so many youngsters in the past, Mumbai Indians will hope for the same with this promising pacer.

They say, ‘catches win matches’, but what is usually forgotten is that the bowler creates the opportunity in the first place. Mumbai Indians can boast of their bowling attack that has bailed us out of trouble, when our batsmen may not have put up a fighting total. Rewind to the 2013 final, many of the aforementioned played major roles in defending just 148 to win our first VIVO IPL. A lot of our success depends on the bowlers we possess – period!