IPL 2024: The Tripartite Factor behind the Dismal Downfall of Mumbai Indians

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The five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians are eliminated from the IPL this season. The star-studded team are currently placed in 9th place, but their top four hopes are now done and dusted.

The final nail of the coffin was put in by Sunrisers Hyderabad, who demolished Lucknow Super Giants not just to bolster their own playoff chances, but curtailed Mumbai's playoff dreams as well.

MI have played 12 matches so far this season. They have won 4 matches and have succumbed to 8 defeats. As their playoff hopes are now all over, a deeper look vividly exposes the factors behind it.

A close dissection opens up the tripartite reasons for their dismal outing in this IPL. And it's not a teaser to predict that the tune of this awful melody was set even before they took the field this season.

The On-Field Sour Notes

Mumbai Indians made a dismal start to the season yet again. Although losing the first match of the season has become a tradition for them, they went to three straight defeats at the start. The loose base got exposed early and although they managed two wins after that, another string of four consecutive defeats completely crashed their foundation.

The first match set the tone though. From a situation where they needed 48 runs in the last six overs with 7 wickets in hand, MI lost the match by 6 runs against Gujarat Titans. After that, all the defeats were heavy. Also, the Paltans lost against Kolkata Knight Riders after restricting them to 169 runs.

Apart from Jasprit Bumrah, none of their bowlers had a positive effect as we saw multiple chops and changes in the team. Rohit Sharma started the season superbly with the bat but he failed in the last few matches, which escalated their downfall.

A Broken Team with No Cohesion

Mumbai Indians were also the receiving end of their off-field saga. After the appointment of Hardik Pandya as captain, the outrage regarding his appointment was abysmal. This issue where their new captain was disowned by own fans took a toll on the team performance. The star-studded squad of Mumbai Indians failed to form the solidarity that is required to come out of the adversities.

Even the likes of Rohit Sharma, the protagonist in many eyes, didn't take the onus to turn the tide with his bat. Hardik Pandya's smiling face in the post-match presentations as the losing captain was mostly an eye washer, as inside, he must have bled and wounded after being put to the sword by his own supporters.

Their own fans polarized themselves - a horde of Hardik Pandya and the people who constantly voiced 'Mumbai Cha Raaja Rohit Sharma' in the stands.

The 'One Family' slogan of the five-time champions looked a stranger as the disjointed Paltans didn't help themselves. Even with the two victories which revitalized them momentarily, the feeling of unity was not just there as the captain was getting constantly booed by the Mumbai fans at Wankhede.

A Collective Catastrophe with Lack of Leadership

But even after considering the aforementioned pointers, it was a sheer lack of quality for them this season. Mumbai Indians lost a few players with injuries, and the replacements were not good enough.

Their star batters didn't step up at the crunch moment, the captain looked hapless throughout the season and apart from Jasprit Bumrah, the bowlers did not have much significance. Suryakumar Yadav's injury in the early phase also played a part in the season, as MI looked much more robust after his arrival.

In terms of the leadership, there seemed to be a mismatch in that part. Also the latest reports suggesting some senior players are not happy with Hardik Pandya's captaincy only raises further questions. Pandya's comments after the defeat against Delhi Capitals also didn't bode well, where he publicly criticized Tilak Varma for not attacking Axar Patel.

In the end, it is a collective failure for the Paltans this season. It has a deep root spread across the team's central figures which malfunctioned the entire machinery. The captaincy saga, the belittle act of the Mumbai fans, all played a part of their premature defenestration from the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League.