IPL 2026: 'He should open the bowling' - Simon Doull on how MI can combat with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi threat

Former New Zealand fast-bowler Simon Doull has stated that the Mumbai Indians will have to optimise their use of Jasprit Bumrah, potentially even opening the bowling with him, to combat the threat of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

Mumbai Indians take on the Rajasthan Royals in Match 13 of the 2026 Indian Premier League. For the Royals, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been an X-factor, continuing on the form from his debut season in 2025. He started the season scoring a 15-ball half-century against the Chennai

Super Kings.

"If MI do their homework right, they'll start with Bumrah. He doesn't often open the bowling, but for this match, he should, even with Hardik back. You want to knock Suryavanshi over early. You want to take the wind out of the sails of RR early on. So you put the best on best and have Bumrah go at him. He (Suryavanshi) won't shy away and will try to take Bumrah down. It's the exuberance of youth that we love,” Doull said, speaking on CricBuzz.

Indian ace quick Jasprit Bumrah is coming off the back of a highly successful T20 World Cup campaign. With 14 wickets, he was the leading wicket-taker in the competition, including brilliant performances in the semi-final and final. He is yet to pick up a wicket in the 2026 IPL, but has bowled economical spells against the Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals.

Mumbai Indians come into the clash against the Royals on the back of a win and a loss. They broke the 13-year losing streak in their season openers when they beat the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium. They chased down 221 with ease courtesy of a stunning 148-run opening partnership between Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton.

They missed the services of skipper Hardik Pandya against the Delhi Capitals, as he missed the game due to illness. Suryakumar Yadav, coming off successfully leading India to the T20 World Cup titles, stood in for the all-rounder in the loss against the Delhi Capitals.