Over the last two centuries, cricket has evolved from being a gentleman’s game to pajama cricket to short-form cricket. One thing is common, though, in modern cricket irrespective of the format of the game; whether it’s the traditional Tests, modified ODIs, or the thrilling Twenty20s, it is the batsmen who call the shots.

As the game has progressed, batsmen have enjoyed additional advantage over bowlers. As a result, the batting unit has emerged as the more important unit, especially in Twenty20 cricket. No wonder then that all IPL outfits are extra careful about getting their batting units in place. The unit for the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League appears to be as good as any of their successful combinations over the last seven seasons.

With the great Sachin Tendulkar having retired, Mumbai Indians suffered from lack of a reliable opening pair during the 2014 season. This year, though, the management has roped in some of the best openers across the globe. Lendl Simmons, who joined the Mumbai Indians midway through the tournament and emerged as the most consistent batsman, will be joined by Australian Twenty20 captain, Aaron Finch.

Besides being the T20 captain for the world champions, Finch and Simmons both have been in form with the bat, as was evident during the recently-concluded World Cup. In case the team management feels the need to get one of them lower down the order, the Mumbai Indians can jolly well open either with Unmukt Chand, or one of the two wicketkeepers, Parthiv Patel and Aditya Tare.

Chand, who led India Under-19 to a World Cup triumph in 2012, has had a prolific season with the bat. Though he hasn’t yet lived up to his potential during his previous IPL stints with Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals, his talent is unquestionable. The Delhi batsman would be eager to come good in IPL this year.

Tare and Parthiv are as good with the bat as they are with the gloves behind the wicket. And both the batsmen are proven performers with the bat at the top of the order, in various formats. Similarly, Aiden Blizzard, who will return to the Mumbai Indians blues after a gap of three years, is an able opening batsman. He too will be hoping to excel if asked to open the batting.

Not to forget MI captain Rohit Sharma. He is one of the most feared opening batsmen in ODIs. Rohit adhered to the demands of the team, as always, and preferred to bat at No 3 for most of IPL-7. He may continue to do so come Wednesday.

To back all these talented top-order batsmen, the middle order specialists are also gunning to come good. Ambati Rayudu will lead charge. The stylish Hyderbabadi, has established himself as Mumbai Indians’ crisis man. Having spent a better part of the last two months on the bench during India’s World Cup campaign, Rayudu would be eager to wield his blade. Similarly, newbies Siddhesh Lad and Nitish Rana, would be hoping to make the most of their opportunity.

The lower middle order will see two of the most ferocious all-rounders in the cricket arena at the moment. Corey Anderson was one of the vital cogs in New Zealand’s memorable ride on the World Cup. Kieron Pollard, on the other hand, would be keen to make a statement about his exclusion from the West Indies’ World Cup squad. And he cannot ask for a bigger stage than the IPL, to prove his credentials.

To back the overseas all-rounders, Mumbai Indians have two of the most promising young all-rounders in domestic circuit on its roster. Shreyas Gopal has come good with his leggies whenever presented with an opportunity for MI. This time around, he would be hoping to make a mark with the bat as well, as he has done for Karnataka all through the domestic season. Hardik Pandya, a middle-order batsman who is as good a medium pacer; has improved leaps and bounds ever since he played a major role in Baroda’s triumphant domestic T20 campaign in 2013-14.

It doesn’t take long for the Paltan to realise that the Mumbai Indians have a problem of plenty when it comes to batting options. Every team management knows that it is the best problem to deal with, at least at the start of the season.