With only four victories in 14 games, five-time champions the Mumbai Indians (MI) finished at the bottom of the points table in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, marking a dramatic decline. Rohit Sharma was replaced as captain by Hardik Pandya before the season began. This choice caused internal strife, which impacted team cohesiveness and on-field performance.
Senior players reportedly became agitated over the sudden captaincy change, upsetting the peaceful atmosphere MI was known for. Players' on-field performances showed a lack of dedication and body language, reflecting this internal conflict.
Inconsistency plagued the team's performance in every area, with new captain Hardik Pandya's lackluster performance playing a significant role. At a strike rate of little over 143 and an average of 18, Pandya was only able to score 216 runs at a top score of just 46. In the second half of the season, Pandya showed some potential as a bowler despite his batting struggles, collecting 11 wickets at an economy rate of almost 11.
In the first half of the tournament, Rohit Sharma was outstanding, finishing as MI's leading scorer with 417 runs, including a hundred and his runs came at a strike rate of 150. However, he only reached the 20-run mark once in his last seven games, and his form took a nosedive in the second half.
With 20 wickets, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah came out as the second-most prolific bowler in the IPL 2024 league stage. His economy of 6.48 was remarkable, but the bowling unit as a whole lacked depth and support, which made total defense ineffectual.
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With 416 runs at an average of 41.60 and a strike rate of almost 150, Tilak Varma impressed with his middle-order performances. Despite missing the first few games, Suryakumar Yadav managed to score 345 runs, including a century, at a strike rate of 167.47. With inconsistent form, Ishan Kishan scored 320 runs at an average of little over 22.
After their audacious and contentious captaincy change, Mumbai would not have hoped for a better season. This was the second time in the last three years that they finished at the bottom of the table.
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