Former India captain Anil Kumble feels Mumbai Indians (MI) icon Rohit Sharma might leave the franchise after the five-time champions finished bottom in the points table in this season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Kumble feels other teams might be looking at Rohit as their captain next season, with mega auction to follow, and the opening batter might be tempted to begin a new chapter, having been replaced as the skipper by Hardik Pandya this season. MI lost to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Friday, ending their campaign with just 10 points and a wooden spoon.

Analysing their season, Kumble spoke in details about Rohit, as well as star players like Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav. With the mega auction set to take place before the next season, Kumble suggested that the trio might move away from MI.

“Let’s be fair. I’m sure there’d be a conversation, which is not going to be easy. Ideally, that conversation needs to happen after the World Cup. You don’t know whether Rohit will remain with MI; I’m sure he would want to go out. Teams will look for captains too. Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav are leadership materials, too. Bumrah has captained India. Even if the franchises want to keep them, the ball remains with the players. It all depends on how they are going to go about,” Kumble said on Jio Cinema.

Even before the start of the season, MI fans have expressed their displeasure over Hardik’s appointment as captain.

Hardik had arrived at MI this season with a great pedigree, having led Gujarat Titans for two seasons.

In GT’s first-ever season in the IPL in 2022, Hardik led them to the title, followed by runners-up finish last season after a loss to CSK in the final.

Rohit, on the other hand, needs no introduction. He is one of the two players to win the IPL six times, alongside Ambati Rayudu. He also led MI to five IPL titlles, including back-to-back triumphs in 2019 and 2020.

Rohit has been under the radar of a few teams, who might be looking him as their captain for the next season.

However, MI head coach recently revealed that Rohit is currently focused on winning the T20 World Cup for India.

After finishing the IPL 2024 season at the bottom of the points table, Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mark Boucher looked back and spoke his heart on a number of challenges the team faced over the last two months. After losing to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Mumbai’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season came to an abrupt end, finishing last in the IPL standings. As MI’s disastrous season ended in the IPL 2024, Boucher was asked about the future of former skipper Rohit Sharma with the team and the head coach said that the opener is a master of his own destiny.

In MI’s last match of the season, opener Rohit showed the erratic nature of T20I by going through a slump after a bright start to the season.

“For me, he is a master of his own destiny. It’s a big auction next season who knows what’s going to happen?” Boucher said in a post-match press conference.

Talking about the former MI skipper’s performance, Boucher said it was a season of two halves for the opener as he had a strong start to the season and hammered the ball well into the netting. The head coach also said that Rohit was headed in the right direction so that we could run some excellent races.

“I had a discussion with Rohit Sharma last night. We reviewed the season this year. After that, I asked him what’s next? and Rohit said ‘the World Cup'”, he added.

In the Indian Premier League on Friday, Rohit broke a run of poor scores when he struck an incredible 68 off 38 deliveries in the Mumbai match against LSG.

“It’s almost a season of two halves for him. He started the season well and hit the ball sweetly in the nets. He got a superb 100 against CSK as well. So we honestly thought he was on a great path for us to go out there and get some good runs,” Boucher said.

In a season beset by controversy for the MI, Rohit’s batting performance was as inconsistent. Rohit’s fortunes collapsed after he made a promising start to the season with the bat, which featured a century against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) but in his next six appearances, the opener was dismissed on four single-digit scores.

“Unfortunately, it’s just the nature of T20 as well. He went out there trying to be aggressive, the new way of playing as an opening batter. He got a few low scores, which unfortunately didn’t help us in that particular situation either. But tonight, he finished off with a fantastic knock as well. So yeah, it is a season of two halves for him,” he added.

MI fans had mixed emotions on a bittersweet evening at the Wankhede Stadium. While they were thrilled with Rohit’s explosive fifty but also witnessed their team suffer their tenth loss of the year and drop to the bottom of the points table.

Coming to the match, Rohit and Naman Dhir’s fiery knocks went in vain as MI conceded an 18-run loss against LSG in the IPL 2024 match at the Wankhede Stadium.

After winning the toss MI sent LSG to bat first but that did not go in their favour as KL Rahul (55 runs from 41 balls, 3 fours and 3 sixes) and Nicholas Pooran (75 runs from 29 balls, 5 fours and 8 sixes) played a fiery knock in the first inning. Marcus Stoinis (28 runs from 22 balls, 5 fours) and Ayush Badoni (22* runs from 10 balls, 1 four and 2 sixes) were the other standout batters for LSG as they propelled the visitors to 214/6.

In the run chase, the hosts had a stupendous start while chasing a 215-run target but after the end of the fourth over, rain played a spoilsport for which the game was halted for a few minutes. However, that did not break the MI openers’ momentum as Rohit Sharma (68 runs from 38 balls, 10 fours and 3 sixes) and Dewald Brevis (23 runs from 20 balls, 1 four and 2 sixes) played a partnership of 88 runs.

Naman Dhir’s (62* runs from 28 balls, 4 fours and 5 sixes) stunning knock in the later half of the run chase shed a ray of hope on the MI dugout as they thought the hosts could win the match but he failed to clinch a win in the end and conceded a 18-run loss.

MI captain Hardik Pandya was penalised Rs. 30 lakh and a one-man ban.© BCCI

After his side’s disappointing 18-run loss against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya said they did not play good quality cricket on Friday. Hardik scored 16 runs from 13 balls at a strike rate of 123.08 while chasing the 215-run target given by LSG. Speaking after the match, Pandya said his side failed to display a quality performance in the IPL 2024 and it cost them a season. He added it is too early to point out what went wrong for MI.

“Quite difficult. Did not play good quality cricket, eventually costed us the whole season. It’s a professional world. Have to always come out and put our best foot forward. But yes, as a group we could not play quality cricket or smart cricket. Too early to point out what went wrong. The whole season kind of went wrong. We can pass this game as another one (that went wrong),” Pandya said.

Recapping the match, after winning the toss MI sent LSG to bat first but that did not go in their favour as KL Rahul (55 runs from 41 balls, 3 fours and 3 sixes) and Nicholas Pooran (75 runs from 29 balls, 5 fours and 8 sixes) played a fiery knock in the first inning. Marcus Stoinis (28 runs from 22 balls, 5 fours) and Ayush Badoni (22* runs from 10 balls, 1 four and 2 sixes) were the other standout batters for LSG as they propelled the visitors to 214/6.

Piyush Chawla led the MI bowling attack as he picked up three wickets in his four-over spell.

In the run chase, the hosts had a stupendous start while chasing a 215-run target but after the end of the fourth over, rain played a spoilsport for which the game was halted for a few minutes. However, that did not break the MI openers’ momentum as Rohit Sharma (68 runs from 38 balls, 10 fours and 3 sixes) and Dewald Brevis (23 runs from 20 balls, 1 four and 2 sixes) played a partnership of 88 runs.

Naman Dhir’s (62* runs from 28 balls, 4 fours and 5 sixes) stunning knock in the later half of the run chase shed a ray of hope on the MI dugout as they thought the hosts could win the match but he failed to clinch a win in the end and conceded a 18-run loss on Friday.

Naveen-ul-Haq and Ravi Bishnoi led the LSG bowling as both of them picked up two wickets in their respective overs.

After the win, LSG ended their IPL 2024 campaign in sixth place in the standings with 14 points. While MI had a season to forget as they finished at the bottom of the table with 8 points.

Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) became the first side to be knocked out in the IPL 2024 season. The Mumbai-based franchise entered the competition under a new skipper, Hardik Pandya, and unfortunately, the Indian star all-rounder couldn’t replicate his Gujarat Titans success this year at MI. The star-studded Mumbai side lost their ninth game of the season against Kolkata Knight Riders in Kolkata on Saturday and are currently reeling at the ninth position on the points table with only four wins in 13 games so far.

The power-packed batting unit didn’t glue up to perform well with the bat in one of the most explosive seasons this year. The top order led by veteran Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan has fired only in bits and pieces, while the middle order comprising Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Hardik Pandya looked inconsistent throughout the season.

Despite Jasprit Bumrah’s stellar performances with the ball, the bowling unit has also looked clueless, leaking runs for most of the tournament. The spin department consisting of Piyush Chawla, Mohammad Nabi, and Shreyas Gopal didn’t make a difference either.

This year, MI had a captaincy change that sparked controversy, with Hardik taking over for Rohit. The franchise’s fans did not take it well, even booing the all-rounder in the first few games at the Wankhede Stadium.

The captaincy swap left the team divided and scattered which also affected the dressing room atmosphere. Hence, it led the renowned MI side to their worst-ever IPL season in the tournament’s history.

Well, the franchises are bound to have a bad season once in a while but let’s discuss what has haunted Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2024 season under new skipper Hardik Pandya.

MI’s legacy

Once upon a time in the late 2010s, there was a power-packed Mumbai Indians side that could beat any T20 XI in the world.

The Mumbai-based franchise became one of the strongest sides under skipper Rohit Sharma’s helm and went on to lift the IPL title record five times – 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.

Apart from IPL, Mumbai has also clinched the Champions League T20 title twice in 2011 and 2013.

The franchise built its core squad around captain Rohit Sharma which comprised the likes of Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Quinton de Kock and Trent Boult.

But, for the past few years, MI has looked rusty after losing its core group of players since the end of the 2021 IPL season. They have only made the playoffs once (2023) in the last four seasons including the ongoing IPL 2024.

Hardik taking over leadership duties for Rohit

After a couple of below-par seasons from the team, MI owners might have brought in Hardik Pandya for Rohit Sharma as captain keeping the former’s successful campaigns at Gujarat Titans in mind.

In November 2023, MI traded all-rounder Cameron Green to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in an all-cash deal through the trading window. This transaction provided the necessary funds for MI to finalize another all-cash deal with Gujarat Titans (GT) to acquire the services of Hardik Pandya.

This can also be termed as a tactical move by the franchise considering the team’s future and Rohit edging closer to the end of his career.

Even mathematically, Rohit Sharma is one of the most successful captains in the IPL history with 89 wins in 158 games for MI, boosting a win percentage of 56.

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya’s stint as Gujarat Titans’ captain has also mesmerized the world as the two-year-old franchise reached the IPL finals in 2022 (champions) and 2023 consecutively.

As GT’s captain, Hardik had won 22 of the 31 matches he played for the Ahmedabad-based side. The star all-rounder boosted a magnificent win percentage of 71 which caught the eyes of MI’s management.

What’s wrong with Hardik’s captaincy in IPL 2024?

MI under Hardik Pandya looked unsettled in their IPL 2024 opener against GT where they failed to complete an easy run chase in Ahmedabad. Except for Jasprit Bumrah (20 wickets) none of the Mumbai star players have been consistent this year.

Even Hardik’s own performances didn’t help this season; having managed only 200 runs with the bat he is yet to score a half-century. While the fast bowler in him has probably delivered 11 wickets in as many innings.

There might be numerous factors for the downfall of Mumbai Indians this season but former IPL star batter AB de Villiers reckons Hardik Pandya’s captaincy style as one of the major reasons for MI’s collapse.

“The captaincy style of Hardik Pandya is quite bravado. It’s ego-driven in a way, chest out,” de Villiers said in a recent video on his YouTube channel. “I don’t think how he walks on the field is always genuine, but he has decided that is his way of captaincy. Almost like MS (Dhoni). Cool, calm, collective, always got your chest out. But when you play with a lot of experienced players, guys who have been around for ages… They don’t buy into that. It worked at GT, where it was a younger team. Sometimes, inexperienced players love to follow that kind of leadership.”

Furthermore, the RCB legend shared his personal experience playing under Graeme Smith in the National team.

“I remember Graeme Smith. He was out there for the team. All I needed to do as a youngster was to follow. Now there’s a Rohit (Sharma), there’s a (Jasprit) Bumrah. They go like, ‘All we need you to be is calm. Give us a bit of input on how to win matches. We don’t need the bravado. I’m not having a go at Hardik. I love watching him play. I love him putting out his chest because I was like that. I believed that as a batter, sometimes you’ve got to fake it to make it,” de Villiers added.

As per a report, the senior MI players have expressed their views to the coaching staff on the way the team is being led and their perspectives on the team’s underwhelming results.

What’s next for MI?

With the top-four spots out of reach, Mumbai Indians will only play for pride in their final league game against Lucknow Super Giants. While there are a lot of learnings and takeaways for the much-important mega-auction ahead of their next season in 2025.

MI vs LSG LIVE Scorecard© BCCI

Mumbai Indians’ journey in the IPL 2024 is over. The Hardik Pandya-led side will be playing Lucknow Super Giants on Friday in their final league game this season, which has been a forgettable one for the five-time champions. Since the time Pandya took over MI’s captaincy, replacing Rohit Sharma, it seemed like everything went downhill. The move came under severe criticism. And then, when MI’s poor form started with a string of losses, Pandya felt the music. 

He got criticised for his on-field inconsistent form while the fans booed him too. He found little open support, but Virat Kohli was an exception. He asked the crowd to not boo Pandya in one of the matches. A new video has come where it clearly shows that Kohli is telling the crowd that Pandya is an Indian player. 

Kohli Saab. Leader. King. Team man. pic.twitter.com/vOAJXH84pD

— AGirlHasNoName2.0 (@KPN1790) May 16, 2024

Hardik’s performance this season has been mediocre to say the least.

In 13 games, he has scored 200 runs at a strike-rate of 144.93, while also taking 11 wickets in 13 matches at an economy of 10.59. Most of his good bowling performances have come in the latter half of the tournament.

However, Hardik was still picked by the selectors in the 15-man squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Americas.

A report had recently claimed that neither Rohit nor the selection committee, led by former India pacer Ajit Agarkar, was in favour of selecting Hardik.

But, the report said that Hardik was picked in the team under ‘pressure’. The report did not mention whether it was a situational pressure (as he is India’s top fast bowling allrounder) or a pressure from some quarters. The report also attributed sources as saying that captain Rohit Sharma , BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar and some selectors were against Pandya’s selection in the T20 World Cup team, during the selection meeting in Ahmedabad.

The report, published by Dainik Jagran, also added that Rohit might retire from the T20 format after the World Cup.

Ajit Agarkar and Rohit Sharma in press conference© AFP

There have been rumours of a possible rift between Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya ever since the latter was appointed captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of IPL 2024. Hardik had replaced Rohit as MI captain after rejoining the franchise from Gujarat Titans (GT) during the trade window. However, it is safe to say that the move has backfired as MI are already out of the IPL 2024 playoffs contention. Also, Hardik’s performance this season has been mediocre to say the least.

In 13 games, he has scored 200 runs at a strike-rate of 144.93, while also taking 11 wickets in 13 matches at an economy of 10.59. Most of his good bowling performances have come in the latter half of the tournament.

However, Hardik was still picked by the selectors in the 15-man squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Americas.

A report had recently claimed that neither Rohit nor the selection committee, led by former India pacer Ajit Agarkar, was in favour of selecting Hardik.

But, the report said that Hardik was picked in the team under ‘pressure’. The report did not mention whether it was a situational pressure (as he is India’s top fast bowling allrounder) or a pressure from some quarters. The report also attributed sources as saying that captain Rohit Sharma , BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar and some selectors were against Pandya’s selection in the T20 World Cup team, during the selection meeting in Ahmedabad.

The report, published by Dainik Jagran, also added that Rohit might retire from the T20 format after the World Cup.

However, the report also highlighted that Hardik’s place in the playing XI is not a surity. And even if he plays, he might not feature in all of the games.

When Rohit and Agarkar attended the press conference after the T20 World Cup squad selection, the chief selector was asked about the inclusion of Hardik in the roster despite his poor form. In response, Agarkar explained how the selection committee didn’t have a choice as there’s no like-for-like replacement for Hardik available from the talent pool that exists.

India will play three of their four Group A matches in New York including the highly-anticipated clash with Pakistan on June 9. Their fourth fixture is slated to be held in Florida, against Canada on June 15.

File photo of Gautam Gambhir© BCCI