IPL 2022 has been a season unlike any other for the Mumbai Indians, led by Rohit Sharma, as they have had the worst start in the history of the tournament – losing all 8 of their opening games. Having dominated the previous cycle in the IPL, this season came as quite a surprise for one and all, with regards to how Mumbai have fared.
While form has been an issue with the most decorated side in the IPL, they have also not ticked off a few boxes, like restocking the engine room adequately, and not having provided the big guns with enough support.
The pressure was bound to be on Rohit and co from the get go, but did they, or anyone expect matters to spiral in this manner? The batting has faltered a fair bit for the Mumbai side, and the bowling unit too has not had it easy.
Among the batters, there’s hardly been a big score with only 6 half-centuries, while the bowlers have not had more than one 4-wicket haul to boast off so far. And MI’s highest wicket-taker, with 6 wickets from as many games, Murugan Ashwin, has not even featured in all the matches. While Jaydev Unadkat, Tymal Mills, and Daniel Sams have also picked 6 wickets each, they have been rather expensive.
Did the Ishan Kishan Investment Work?
Bought at the IPL Mega Auction for a whopping Rs 15.25 crores, the left-handed wicketkeeper-batter started the tournament with a couple of half-centuries, scoring 81 in the first game and 54 in the second, before his form tapered off.
Kishan has since registered only one score in excess of 20 in six attempts, and has not impressed the team management. Head coach Mahela Jayawardene said after the defeat against Lucknow, that Kishan’s output at the top of the order isn’t what the team had in mind.
What’s also not helped is that the opener has struggled against short-ball and opposition bowlers have successfully used this ploy against him. Kishan is yet to figure out a way to tackle that and it has pegged him back.
The southpaw’s struggles have put a lot of pressure on the rest of MI’s batting, which has not helped the likes of Rohit Sharma either. Kishan has struggled to get going and play his free-flowing game so far, and the pressure of the price tag could also be weighing down heavily on him.
Does Kishan need a breather and an extended session on the drawing board?
Ishan Kishan has struggled against the short ball.
Ron Gaunt
Rohit's Out of Form and Suryakumar Yadav Has Little Support
While Rohit Sharma has not been a towering figure as a batter in the IPL, one of the players who has consistently performed has been Suryakumar Yadav, who this season also has been fighting a lone battle.
Sky, as he is often called, has been one of the mainstays for the Mumbai batting for a few years now and that is unlikely to change any time soon either. Among the most prolific in the MI side, he started his season a couple of games late due to injury but that hasn’t had much effect on his batting.
However, earlier, Surya had the likes of Ishan Kishan, the Pandya brothers and Kieron Pollard scoring impactful runs around him. This season, that has been missing for the MI side. A part of the engine room has been dealt a massive blow with the Pandya brothers now turning out for different franchises, which has meant the responsibility on Suryakumar has gone up.
Young Tilak Varma has been impressive, as has the South African Dewald Brewis, but neither have been able to have the kind of impact that the Pandya brothers coupled with Pollard had previously.
After 8 games, the only two MI batters in the top 10 among the run-getters are Tilak Varma and Suryakumar, at fourth and ninth respectively, well off the pace from the likes of KL Rahul and Jos Buttler, or even Hardik, who has been scoring plenty of runs for Gujarat.
Jasprit Bumrah has been under pressure in IPL 2022
(Image: BCCI)
Jasprit Bumrah Wages Lone Battle
The ace pacer has been an absolute stalwart for the Mumbai Indians over the years, and like always was expected to spearhead the attack this year as well. However, the MI bowling has looked a far cry from their usual-self.
After 8 games, the highest wickets taken by any bowler in the MI camp is 6, with Bumrah having picked 5. The lack of wickets and consistently being expensive have hurt MI and made Bumrah's four overs more crucial.
The MI bowling attack does not have the familiar names of Trent Boult, Rahul Chahar and James Pattinson to provide the bite. Top of that, Bumrah has not been on the money as much as he and the MI side would have liked either.
The likes of Unadkat and Basil Thampi have not been able to get the wickets as frequently, while bowlers like Mills and Sams have been expensive as well, going at well over 10 runs an over. Among MI’s best bowlers have been M Ashwin who hasn’t made it to the playing XI in all the games, which makes you wonder about the balance in the squad.
MI, however, will hope the next season is a lot better as they await the arrival of a certain Jofra Archer, but up until then, all of their hopes rest squarely at Bumrah's door.
Coach Jayawardene has spoken about change and a review ahead of the 9th game this season, but will it be enough to help turn a corner?
Or is it time to give the bench strength a run out so as to begin preparing for the next season at the earliest? Remember, how the Australian women’s team picked up the pieces after the 2017 ODI World Cup, or even the England men’s team after 2015?
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)