Since Mumbai Indians became the most successful IPL franchise in history (IPL 2020), there has been an alarming dip in their performances. Twice in the last three years, MI have finished at the bottom of the standings. The IPL 2024 was a nightmare for the five-time champions, a season they dreamt would be the beginning of a new era under newly installed captain Hardik Pandya but turned out otherwise.
On paper, MI had some of the strongest T20 talents India has to offer. Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan and skipper Pandya. Then what happened?
Well, simply put: Their batting and bowling didn’t click together.
A few players failed to live up to the standards, others began brightly before their performances tapered off as the season progressed. The consistent performers rarely found support from the other end. And the captain appeared out of sorts at times.
IPL 2024 – Played: 14; Won: 4; Lost: 10; Standing: 10th After League Stage
Also Read: DC IPL 2024 Team Review
High Point of the Tournament
Beating Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a high-scoring contest at the Wankhede Stadium. After Jasprit Bumrah weaved his magic to pick up a five-wicket haul for just 21 runs in four overs while others leaked runs, MI were left to chase 197. Their top-order fired in unison and they hunted the target with 27 deliveries to spare. It was their second win in a row – also their longest winning streak of the season.
Low point of the Tournament
Bowing out of IPL 2024 playoffs race prematurely. MI had two matches left when their faint hopes of a top-four finish came to a brutal end. They were the first team to be knocked out from the contention after Sunrisers Hyderabad thrashed Lucknow Super Giants by 10 wickets meaning MI would at most get to 12 points which wouldn’t be enough.
Captaincy Verdict
Pandya spent two highly successful seasons with Gujarat Titans leading them to title in their first IPL season followed by a runners-up finish. MI bet big on their former premier allrounder and lured him back to their set-up before the IPL auctions before handing over the team’s rein. Pandya had big shoes to fill in: Rohit Sharma was in charge of MI’s all five IPL triumphs. Pandya had proven his credentials. It wouldn’t have been a surprise if he tasted success in his maiden stint as MI captain. However, that wasn’t the case. He made a few questionable calls including bowling a final over against a rampaging MS Dhoni who smashed him for 20 runs in four deliveries.
Most Valuable Player
In a season when other MI players (Tilak Varma being the other exception) struggled with consistency, Jasprit Bumrah was a class apart. Teams were racking up 200-plus totals with surreal consistency with bowlers running for covers. However, Bumrah took 20 wickets from 13 matches at an economy of 6.48. He finished third in the list of top wicket-takers of the season and one of three bowlers to have picked up a five-wicket haul.
Major Disappointment
Disappointments. Yeah, plural. Besides his captaincy, Pandya was also expected to deliver with the ball and the bat – as he did for GT in two seasons. He managed 216 runs at a strike rate of 143.04 often failing to assert domination and with the ball did take 11 wickets but at an economy of 10.75.
Ishan Kishan was another disappointment. Ahead of the season, Ishan had been under fire for ignoring domestic cricket and also didn’t find a place in the BCCI central contract list. With the T20 World Cup starting a week after the conclusion of IPL 2024, the stage was ideal for Ishan to make a statement. Considering how the likes of Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Jason Fraser-McGurk, and other openers went berserk on batting-friendly pitches, Ishan’s 320 runs at a strike rate of 148.33 from 14 innings seemed insufficient and the result was him not finding a place in India’s 15-man squad for the world cup.
Tournament Verdict
A poor season considering the talent and experience at their disposal. They failed to string together more than two wins in a row and were consistently struggling either with their batting or bowling. Plenty to ponder over the MI think tank as they will be entering the rebuild mode with IPL mega auction planned ahead of the next season.
Statistics
Most runs: Rohit Sharma – 416 runs in 13 innings
Most wickets: Jasprit Bumrah – 20 wickets in 13 innings
Highest individual score: Rohit Sharma – 105* vs CSK
Best Bowling Figures: Jasprit Bumrah – 5/21 vs RCB
Stay updated with the latest from T20 World Cup 2024. Explore T20 World Cup Match Today. Check Updated list of Highest-run getters and Highest Wicket-Takers In T20 World Cup 2024. Check T20 World Cup 2024 Points Table and players with the Most Sixes, Most Fours , Most Fifties And Most HundredsIn T20 World Cup 2024.
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