Mumbai Indians were pre-tournament favorites
MI was the defending champions heading into IPL 2020. They had already established themselves as the most successful IPL franchise by winning 4 titles when they defeated CSK in a nail-biting thriller last year.
2020 is an even year raised the questions of whether Mumbai Indians could sustain the winning momentum? Will they be able to successfully defend their crown? Their record in UAE wasn’t promising, would that derail their campaign?
Even though skeptics had all these doubts but the squad they had at their disposal dismissed most of these preconceived notions. Their batting line up had some of the finest names in T20. Their bowling with the addition of Boult and Pattinson looked top class too.
Hence it didn’t come as a surprise that many cricketing experts and fans believed that MI would surely be in the playoffs and a 5th title for the men in blue and gold can’t be ruled out.
How did their campaign pan out?
MI being MI lost their first game of the tournament against CSK, they bounced back quickly against KKR but lost to RCB in a thrilling super over. After winning just 1 out of the first 3 games, there were some whispers about their form but the team didn’t let any distractions come their way.
Starting from their 4th match, they kept on demolishing opposition after opposition and registered wins by a pretty big margin which eventually ensured that their NRR was way higher than any other team in the league.
They stormed to the playoffs with 9 wins under their belt and became the first team in IPL 2020 to reach there. Thanks to them finishing in the top spot, they played the first qualifier against DC, who finished 2nd in the points table. MI who had previously beaten DC twice in the league stage again found a way to bulldoze them and entered the finals directly.
As luck would have it, they once again faced DC in the finals of IPL 2020, wherein they made it a one-sided contest completely and emerged victorious for the 5th time. A feat achieved by no other team in the history of IPL.
From 2013 to 2020, MI has managed to win 5 IPL trophies in 8 seasons. This is no mean achievement. They seem to be such a well-oiled unit that on their day they can challenge the best T20 team. As many experts believe they are currently the benchmark for possibly being the finest T20 outfit.
Star Performers:
Ishan Kishan: This young Turk had an amazing season where he amassed 510 runs and even won the award for smashing most sixes (29) in IPL 2020. The success of uncapped players is one of the main reason why MI tend to do so well.
Jasprit Bumrah: This was a breakthrough season for Boom Boom Bumrah in terms of racking up wickets at will. As most teams often tend to play him cautiously without giving away their wickets. His continued excellence proved to be a major reason why MI cruised to another championship win.
Suryakumar Yadav: A season where his game went up another level. Suryakumar scored 480 runs at a strike rate of 145. His numbers don’t tell you the complete story, his style, and elegance while compiling them was a different story altogether.
Disappointments:
None. They were so good the Mumbai Indians.
Overall Verdict:
It was a dream season for MI. They played with authority intimidating the oppositions with their game. None of the teams could even come close to them.
It was a thoroughly dominant season and exemplary display of cricket put up by the champions. A G.O.A.T team for sure!
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