5 reasons to binge-watch Netflix’s ‘Cricket Fever: Mumbai Indians’

Netflix has brought a new sports docu-drama ‘Cricket Fever: Mumbai Indians’ which offers an all access sneak-peek into the inner workings of the Mumbai Indians management and players.

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The great Indian Cricketing season has begun! With summer holidays just around the corner and with IPL Season 11, which has started this weekend which will soon be followed up by the much-awaited ODI World Cup, the cricket fans are in for a treat! The Indian Premier League now into his 11th installment this year is undoubtedly one of the top cricketing leagues of the world, if not the best. The buzz and the excitement surrounding the league has only grown larger year after year. The multi-national teams, the blitzkrieg action and an element of entertainment in sports have been well received by the fans.

MI is the first team to win 3 IPL championships

However, the IPL teams and their owners have largely been opaque about the things that go behind the live action. A lot of fans often wonder about the team selections, team strategy and stoke rumors about how IPL is more about partying than cricket! Well, to put an end to all such speculation and also to bring out exclusive behind the scenes content, Netflix has brought a new sports docu-drama ‘Cricket Fever: Mumbai Indians’ which offers an all access sneak-peek into the inner workings of the Mumbai Indians management and players.

While the content is pleasantly refreshing, we were taken aback by the superior production value and the coherent story that the show makers have been able to build over a sports team’s journey. Here are 5 reasons why you should drop everything and binge watch ‘Cricket Fever: Mumbai Indians’

1. Auction Strategy
MI didn’t retain Bhajji and Krunal for the auction

While it has been often prophesized about how several players would make it big in the auctions, the actual reality has turned out to be something different. Fans have been left wondering how certain marquee players have been left unsold while unknown budding talents from far-pockets of the country have seen too many takers. Cricket Fever’s first episode focusses on the inner workings of how the MI team management create a general pool of players they are interested in and mark the players according to the skillset and the base price at which they are being introduced into the auction. The web-series also focusses on the players that were retained by the MI management before the auction and the rationale behind the move which had left fans wondering as to why players like Krunal Pandya, BHajji, who albeit were part of the core team, had been left out. Cricket fever also focusses about Akash Ambani taking over the reins of the management of Mumbai Indians from her mother, Nita Ambani.

2. Playing XI selection
Old Guard or New Talent? Tare vs. Kishan

With such a talented pool of players, if you thought selecting a formidable playing XI was an easy job, then you cannot be any farther from the truth! With a relatively new and younger team, the Mumbai Indians see themselves struggle initially with the initial pairing of the openers and the lower middle order of the team. The dilemma between selecting an upcoming talent in Ishan Kishan against the experienced hands of Aditya Tare, or replacing marquee players who are injured or dropping an important player due to non-performance are worth watching in Cricket Fever.
 

3. Mahela Jayawardene: The Taskmaster

Cricket Fever makes it a point to not only showcase the story-arc of the players as the season progresses but also of the support staff and coaches of the team. The richest team in IPL history is complemented by a support staff boasting of cricketing big-wigs. From the ‘God of Cricket’ and former MI batsman, Sachin Tendulkar, as the mentor of the team to John Wright being the talent scout. Robin Singh, Shane Bond amongst others make the impressive line-up of the supporting staff. Often fans have been left wondering whether such an over-loaded starry support staff might hamper the team performance. However, it is Mahela Jayawardene, the new coach of Mumbai Indian (in 2018) who steals the limelight with his crisp no-nonsense style of coaching. The discipline and the commitment that Mahela brings into the new MI team is well-captured by the makers of the web series.

4. Mythbusters
Kieron Pollard has been involved in a lot of incidents on the field

The MI team boasts of a colorful mix of cricket players. While players like Keiron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, etc. are known for their ‘Play Hard, Party Harder’ ways, others like keeping it a tad low. The MI team has always entertained the fans with sublime performance and also on-the-field ‘moves’. Case in point – ‘Kieron Pollard’ who has been involved in a number of brash and controversial on-field incidents. However, Cricket Fever showcases the other side of the fiery cricketer. Similarly, there are umpteen myths surrounding the IPL team and the web-series do squash a few of them.

5. Player Back-Stories

While the story arc of Cricket Fever is the journey of Mumbai Indians in their 10th edition of IPL, it is these small sub-plots which tell us about the cricketing beginnings of the players at MI, that steal everyone’s heart. From the humble beginnings of the Pandya brothers to the flourishing talent of Surya Kumar Yadav in the fiefdom of Mumbai Cricketing circles, the show-makes ensure that we have the perfect underdog story to root for.

So what are you waiting for? Spot those ‘blue jerseys’, and binge watch ‘Cricket Fever’ right now! All episodes of Cricket Fever are streaming on Netflix.

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