Mumbai: It is perhaps a tribute to their record that few are willing to write off the Mumbai Indians (MI) even though they languish at eighth in this IPL’s points table at the halfway stage. That said, there’s no denying the panic in the camp after the crushing defeat to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at their home ground, Wankhede Stadium, on Thursday.
It is not just the defeat, but the manner of it which has rattled the five-time IPL champions. All out for 104 in a chase of 207 in front of the local crowd is hard to digest.
Usually a well-settled machine, this time they are still searching for the right combination and gameplan.
Struggling to keep their playoff hopes alive, immense pressure is on captain Hardik Pandya to turn the team’s performance around. However, in Thursday’s outing there were visible signs that the pressures of captaincy affected his performance.
Given his dazzling displays for the Indian T20 side, it is obvious he is not a player out of rhythm. However, there are enough examples of the best players being weighed down by the burdens of leadership.
Pandya, appointed MI captain in 2024, is facing intense scrutiny this season due to the team losing five of their first seven matches (one under Suryakumar Yadav). Except for wins against Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Titans, the team has played lacklustre cricket.
As a pace bowling all-rounder, Pandya is invaluable for any team for the balance he lends, but his own form has been a cause for worry this season. After six innings, he is averaging 19.40 with a total of 97 runs. A 22-ball 40 against Royals Challengers Bengaluru is his best show. His bowling stats aren’t any better either – his Economy Rate of 12.67 is the most expensive since his debut in 2015. Against CSK, he shared the new ball and conceded the early initiative by giving up 38 runs in his two overs during the Powerplay.
Experts have also questioned his tactical choices, particularly in high-pressure situations. Criticism followed his decision to give the 20th over to rookie Krish Bhagat against a well-set Sanju Samson, even though he himself had two overs remaining. Samson smashed Bhagat for 16 runs in the final over.
Batting woes
Any T20 side where the top three doesn’t fire is bound to struggle. MI’s main problem lies with the batting at the top. It was highlighted again against CSK with a collapse of 11/3.
The injury to veteran Rohit Sharma has compounded their woes. Their plan to try out young Danish Malewar as opener hasn’t worked out, out for a golden duck on Thursday after falling for two in his debut game.
Their No.3 is also failing to fire. Suryakumar Yadav has not been able to replicate his last season form. They are now trying Naman Dhir at No.3.
That’s the main difference with teams who are flying in the top four – Punjab Kings (Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Cooper Connolly), Rajasthan Royals (Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel), RCB (Virat Kohli, Phil Salt and Rajat Patidar) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Ishan Kishan).
From his 717-run last season, Suryakumar has got only 157 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 142.73.
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer, who has worked with various franchises as batting coach, observed that the India star has become a bit predictable. “SKY (Surya) is getting trapped in a similar fashion again and again. Teams set fields to restrict his leg-side and behind-the-wicket shots. He needs a plan B. Maybe go straighter or hit over covers. Don’t be predictable. Too good a player to get caught in the same trap,” said Jaffer on his X account.
MI’s next match is against SRH on April 29 and it remains to be seen.whether Rohit can return and inspire a turnaround.