IPL 2025: Who are the 'Power Players' that can revive Mumbai Indians after a disastrous 2024 season?

IPL 2024 witnessed Mumbai Indians enduring a disastrous campaign, finishing at the bottom with just four wins in 14 matches. Hardik Pandya’s appointment as captain sparked backlash and reports of a fractured dressing room only added to their struggles. A year later, MI seems to have moved past those lapses, but their biggest test will be managing the bowling attack in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence early in the season.

Who will be Mumbai Indians's key players to look out for this season? 

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Hardik Pandya

After a turbulent season that saw even die-hard Mumbai Indians fans at Wankhede turned against him, Hardik Pandya will be eager to redeem himself this year. The captain could only managed just 216 runs and 11 wickets, which didn’t help his cause. However, fresh off a stellar year for India, where he played a pivotal role in back-to-back ICC trophy wins, Pandya’s form with both bat and ball will be critical to MI’s fortunes in IPL 2025.

Suryakumar Yadav 

Retained for a hefty ₹16.35 crore, Suryakumar Yadav remains Mumbai’s batting linchpin. He had a solid campaign last year, racking up 345 runs, including a blistering century against Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, his international form has been a concern, particularly in the recent England series, where he managed just 28 runs across five matches. MI will be banking on him to rediscover his explosive best and anchor their batting lineup this season.

Tilak Varma

After an impressive year in Indian colours, Tilak Varma will be eager to showcase his talent once again for MI. Retained for ₹8 crore, he has established himself as a dependable performer, playing crucial knocks in India’s victories—including a century against South Africa and a composed innings under pressure against England in Chennai.

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With over 1,000 IPL runs at a strike rate of 146, Varma has been a mainstay in MI’s setup, and they’ll hope for another impactful season from him.

Mitchell Santner

Often overlooked in the IPL, Mitchell Santner arrives at MI with the expectation of playing a key role in their spin department. With the team lacking a frontline spinner, the Kiwi bowling all-rounder is likely to get a full season’s run. His career economy rate of 7.02 is a testament to his control, and MI will look to him to stifle opposition batters in the middle overs. At ₹2 crore, he could prove to be a steal if he delivers consistent performances.

Ryan Rickelton

Ryan Rickelton has been in sensational form across T20 leagues and is an exciting addition to MI’s batting lineup. His SA20 exploits were particularly impressive where he made 336 runs at a staggering strike rate of 178.72. His domination in the powerplay overs was key to MI Cape Town’s maiden title win. The challenge now is whether he can replicate that success on Indian pitches, where conditions and bowling attacks will pose a different test.