The five-time Indian Premier League Champions Mumbai Indians have four players who are selected in the World Cup squad. Mumbai Indians are not having a season to remember with all the controversy and backlash from the fans regarding the change of captain decision. Their performances on the field have not been consistent either which has got them into more trouble.
Mumbai Indians are currently languishing at the bottom half of the table after their recent loss to Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium. They are currently placed 9th just above Royal Challengers Bangalore. Both teams have 6 points each in 10 games but MI has a better NRR which has kept them away from the last position.
Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah & Hardik Pandya all four of them were named in the squad just before the match against Lucknow Super Giants. Unfortunately, all four of them underperformed in their match against LSG. Mumbai Indians scored a mere 144-7 which was easily chased down by LSG with six wickets in hand.
No party for selected players of MI- Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra pointed out that Rohit Sharma has not been scoring runs on his birthday for the last four years. He said :
“Rohit Sharma’s last four birthdays have been like one, two, three and four. He has played five balls in each of his last four birthdays and has scored one, two, three, and four, which is very unfortunate, but he has been unable to score runs. Wickets kept falling one after the other,”
He pointed out that he feels shocked with the type of cricket Mumbai Indians as a franchise is playing.
“You feel surprised and slightly shocked about the sort of cricket Mumbai are playing. Suryakumar Yadav got out down the leg side. Then Tilak Varma got run out. Hardik Pandya – first-ball duck. Four MI players are going with the Indian team and none of them could celebrate their selection,” the former Indian opener added.
He noted that fighting knocks of youngsters were not enough for Mumbai Indians in the end.
“Rohit Sharma scored four runs, Suryakumar scored 10-12 runs, Hardik Pandya got out for zero off the first ball and Bumrah didn’t pick up a single wicket. Nehal Wadhera and Ishan Kishan scored a few runs but that was never going to be enough. Tim David also hit later,” he observed.
Wadhera 46 (42) and Kishan 32 (36) played handy knocks in the situation. Tim David 35 (18) hit a few out of the fence in the death overs but it was never enough. Hardik Pandya got out for a golden duck and Rohit and Surya only managed 14 runs between them.
Mumbai Indians have themselves to blame- Aakash Chopra
Akash Chopra noted that Mumbai Indians batters must be blamed for their recent defeat. He said :
“You scored only 144 runs in total. As the saying goes, you can’t defend the indefensible. It was that story. Runs weren’t there at all on the board. They have to blame themselves because they have such a long and formidable batting lineup. It seems like they would be destructive and incredible.”
Chopra mentioned that the game is not played on paper, but on ground.
“However, we got to know one more time that the game is not played on paper but on the ground. The team that was looking the strongest on paper before the tournament has disintegrated. They haven’t played well at all, the wagon hasn’t moved,” Chopra noted.
He further added saying Jasprit Bumrah has not looked as potent as he is in the last three games for Mumbai Indians and their captain Hardik Pandya clearly lacks sharpness.
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