IPL 2020 MI vs CSK: Mumbai Indians opening puzzle, who should partner Rohit – Lynn Or DeKock ?

Armed with one of the strongest batting units, the franchise made some smart selections at the auctions last December by retaining and picking some of the most explosive batsman around. Lynn’s arrival into the MI squad for IPL 2020, the opening slot has widened up to a number of permutations that the team needs to address before IPL 13 kickstarts.

Option 1
Rohit Sharma- Quinton de Kock

This is ideally the staple choice for the MI franchise and Rohit- Quinton is one pair that has performed and proved their worth at the top of the order. The duo was the same opening pair responsible for MI’s 15 out of 16 games in IPL 2019. The South African limited-overs skipper has scored 1456 runs in the IPL at a strike rate of 131.29 and has recorded 10 fifties and a century.

The MI Skipper is best at the top, and with someone like Quinton de Kock around, he could take his time and play a responsible innings. Opening with arguably two of the most excellent openers of this era would be a nightmare for the opposition bowlers. 

Option 2
Chris Lynn- de Kock

This can come as a shocker to some fans considering the pair has not opened before. However, it is a gamble worth taking and if it pays off, Mumbai Indians can have one of the deadliest and explosive opening pairs in the tournament. 

Before IPL 2019, Rohit Sharma use to bat at 3, sometimes even four mostly. If he decides not to open this is one dreaded combination that we might get to see. This opening combination would be very dreadful for the opposition and has the ability to decimate any bowling lineup on their day. 

Option 3
Rohit Sharma- Chris Lynn

MI has the luxury of replacing QDK with Lynn; this is if the SA T20I captain isn’t at his best. Other teams dream of having an aggressive T20 specialist like Chris Lynn, MI might not even start their campaign with him. The Rohit-Lynn combination, however, could very well be a possibility considering the fact that Lynn had an excellent IPL season last year. Besides, they would be tempted to rest QDK and give Lynn a go for a few matches in the group stage of IPL 2020. Having Rohit Sharma as a batting partner would give Lynn the luxury to strike from ball one as Rohit could hold the innings from the other end.

Only time will tell who Mumbai Indians decide to start their innings with. For now, they should enjoy this welcome headache.