In what seems to be a season of despair for the Mumbai Indians, the team led by Hardik Pandya suffered yet another defeat in the ongoing 17th IPL cricket series in India. With 7 defeats in the 10 matches played so far, the Mumbai Indians find themselves languishing at the ninth position in the points table, with only 6 points to their name.
The match against the Lucknow team, held yesterday, only added to Mumbai woes. After setting a modest target of 145 runs, the Mumbai Indians watched as the Lucknow team chased down the total in the last over, securing a 4-wicket victory. This defeat has almost certainly dashed Mumbai’s hopes of making it to the playoffs in IPL 2024.
The Mumbai Indians performance in this series has been far from satisfactory, compounded by various controversies within the team. Rohit Sharma dismissal and Hardik Pandya appointment as the new captain have been subjects of much debate among fans and cricket pundits alike.
Speaking about the defeat in yesterday match, Hardik Pandya expressed his frustration, stating, “We lost wickets at the beginning of this match and could not recover from that slump. Also, the batsmen have to look at the ball and hit it. Even if we make a few mistakes, we will lose the game in balls like that. What to do about it? That’s how it’s been for us throughout this series.”
Pandya also acknowledged the good performance of Nehal Wadhera, who has been consistent with his performance both last year and this year. Despite not getting enough opportunities earlier this year, Wadhera has been making the most of the chances he gets.
When questioned about his dismissal in the first ball of the match, Pandya seemed resigned, stating, “If we don’t hit the ball properly, we will be out without any regret, and the whole team is playing like that this season without any regret.”
Pandya unrelenting arrogance after every match is causing dissatisfaction among the fans, adding to the mounting pressure on the team. With only a few matches remaining in the series, the Mumbai Indians will need to pull off some miraculous performances if they are to salvage anything from this disappointing season.