They are five-time IPL champions. They are, without a shadow of a doubt, the most successful IPL side ever. The Mumbai Indians have in their arsenal an array of players who can send a shiver down the spine of any opposition in world cricket.

On the other hand, there is the side that holds the No.1 ranking in T20I cricket, a side that has whitewashed the South African side recently in the Proteas’ own backyard. The England cricket team has grown leaps and bounds under the leadership of Eoin Morgan and is a force to reckon with in world cricket today, especially in the shorter formats.

So, how would it be, if the Mumbai Indians and the England cricket team combine together? In this article, let us take a look at the best combined England and Mumbai Indians T20 XI.

1. Quinton de Kock

He has extremely fast hands, picks the length quickly, and takes the attack to the opposition. At the top of the order, Quinton de Kock is an asset for any side he plays. The left-hander was in sublime form during the 13th edition of the IPL for the Mumbai Indians side. The diminutive batsman plundered 503 runs at a strike rate in excess of 140 to propel Mumbai to their fifth IPL triumph.

He was the second-highest run-scorer for the Mumbai franchise in the 2020 season of the IPL after Suryakumar Yadav. De Kock has scored 1959 runs in IPL cricket so far, including a hundred and 14 fifties. Even in T20I cricket, De Kock has an average in excess of 30 and has a strike rate of close to 140. He is currently the fifth-highest run-scorer for South Africa in T20Is as well.

2. Jos Buttler

No boundary is big enough when Jos Buttler is at his best. Possessing a strike rate in excess of 140 and averaging close to 30 in T20I’s, Buttler would open the batting alongside Quinton de Kock in this combined XI.

With 1551 runs from 66 innings, the right-hander is the third-highest run-scorer for England in T20I cricket. In the third T20I against South Africa, Buttler took the bowlers to the cleaners by smashing a 46-ball unbeaten 67 to help England make light work of a target of 191 runs, stamped his authority over the opposition, and underlined his value to the side.

Buttler has an impressive record in IPL cricket too and has scored 1714 runs at an average of 34.98. He will perfectly fit as an opener in this combined T20 XI.

3. Dawid Malan

Dawid Malan averages in excess of 50 in T20Is. His strike rate is close to 150. And, in spite of playing just 19 innings in T20Is, he has already scored 855 runs and is well on his way to breaking Babar Azam’s record and becoming the fastest batsman to 1000 runs in T20I’s.

Dawid Malan has emerged as a vital cog in the arsenal of the England side with some splendid performances with the willow. In the recently concluded T20I series against South Africa, Malan won the Man of the Series award for scoring 173 runs in the three-match series at an average of 86.50.

In fact, in his last 8 innings in T20I cricket, the left-hander has scored four fifties for the England side. He will bat at No.3 in this combined XI.

4. Suryakumar Yadav

It seemed as if Suryakumar Yadav could not put a foot wrong in the 2020 edition of the IPL. The right-hander walloped 480 runs during the 13th edition of the IPL at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 145.02.

The 30-year old also scored 4 fifties during the competition. In fact, Yadav has been in scintillating form in the last three editions of the IPL. In each of the last three editions, the right-hander has scored more than 400 runs, and has averaged in excess of 30.

With an ability to seamlessly adjust the tempo of his game to suit the situation, Yadav will occupy the No.4 spot in this team. Also, it will be interesting to see when he will make India debut.

5. Eoin Morgan (C)

He is England’s highest run-scorer in the shortest format of the game and is the only England player to have scored over 2000 runs in T20I cricket. Eoin Morgan is a batsman who can rattle any bowling attack on his day and pummel sixes at will.

The left-hander is also the only England batsman to have scored over 100 sixes in the shortest format of the game. Morgan also scores his runs at a strike rate of close to 140, and would be ideally suited for the No.5 spot in this side.

Eoin Morgan also has an excellent win percentage of 60.37 in T20Is as a skipper and has led the England side on 54 occasions thus far. He will lead the combined XI.

6. Kieron Pollard

He has played a key role in his franchise winning a whopping 5 IPL titles. And, he is an allrounder in every sense of the word. He can strike lusty blows at the fag end of the innings, he can come in the middle overs and pick up wickets, and without doubt, there are very few men who can give as many jaw droppings moments on the field as he can.

Kieron Pollard has been a part of the Mumbai Indians’ side for a decade now. The big West Indian has played 164 matches in the IPL, and scored 3023 runs at an average of 29.93.

Pollard has also plundered 15 fifties in the IPL and picked up 60 wickets with the ball as well. In the 2020 edition of the IPL, he scored his runs at a strike rate of over 190 and averaged 53.60 with the bat.

7. Sam Curran

He can swing the ball at a decent pace. He can also strike the ball into the stands with the willow when needed. At the age of just 22, Sam Curran is slowly developing into a handy all-rounder, especially in the shortest format of the game.

Curran was also impressive in the 13th edition of the IPL. The left-hander played a few valuable cameos in the 2020 edition of the IPL and scored 186 runs at an average of 23.25.

With the ball, the left-arm seamer picked up 13 wickets as well for the Chennai side, and his strike rate was also a decent 19.38. Curran is a very handy addition to this side, and can also bring in variety with his left-arm pace.

8. Jofra Archer

Jofra Archer is lethal with the ball in hand. The pace that he generates hurries up even the very best in the business. Jofra Archer at his best is a nightmare. In the 13th edition of the IPL, Archer was the leading wicket-taker for his franchise and picked up 20 wickets.

His economy rate in the 2020 season of the IPL was a miserly 6.55, and he regularly clocked speeds in excess of 145 kmph. Archer has also played 7 matches for England and picked up 7 wickets as well.

Even though Archer did not have a very successful series against South Africa, picking up just two wickets, he walks into the side because of the sheer pace and the bounce he can generate.

9. Jasprit Bumrah

He is the most important asset for the Mumbai side as far as the bowling department is concerned. His ability to bowl toe crushing yorkers and his ability to vary his pace and deceive the batsmen is matched by very few in the game today.

Jasprit Bumrah is a force to reckon with, both at the beginning and at the end of the innings. The pacer proved his worth in the 13th edition of the IPL, by emerging as the second-highest wicket-taker of the tournament, and scalped 27 wickets.

He averaged a stunning 14.96 with the ball in hand, and was Rohit Sharma’s ‘go-to’ bowler. Bumrah has picked up 109 wickets in IPL cricket, and can even stake a claim as one of the best pacers in limited-overs cricket today.

10. Trent Boult

He picked up 25 wickets in the 13th edition of the IPL, and made the ball dance to his tunes. He can swing the ball both ways, and exhibits impeccable control while doing so. His strike rate in the 2020 edition of the IPL was just 13.76, and he played an important role in the Mumbai Indians winning the IPL for a record fifth time this year.

With his left-arm pace, Trent Boult can rattle batsmen with the control and accuracy that he exhibits. Boult has played 48 matches in IPL cricket, and has picked up 63 wickets at an average of 25.03 with the ball.

The left-arm speedster will open the bowling in this combined XI, with either Bumrah or Archer. It will be exciting to see if this combined XI takes the field and Boult fires his swinging deliveries in the powerplay.

11. Adil Rashid

The lone spinners’ spot in this combined XI goes to Adil Rashid. The wily leg spinner can outfox batsmen with drift in the air, and sharp turn off the surface. Rashid is currently the fourth-highest wicket-taker for England in T20Is and has picked up 51 wickets in the shortest format of the game.

In fact, Rashid is the only England spinner who has played over 50 matches in T20I cricket and has spun a web around the batsman in the international arena for a decade now. The leg spinner brings with him a wealth of experience and can stem the flow of runs, especially in the middle overs.

Note: All stats have been taken from Howstat cricket, Cricbuzz and iplt20.com and have been updated as on 2nd December 2020