The 2024 IPL culminated in a rather unprecedented fashion. The previous champions, Chennai Super Kings, and the runners-up, Mumbai Indians, were unexpectedly eliminated from the competition.
Despite their last championship victory, the CSK team put up a commendable fight this time around. However, they could not secure a spot in the play-off round despite their efforts.
Matheesha Pathirana
During the series, the CSK team faced a significant setback when their crucial bowler, Matheesha Pathirana, had to leave due to an injury.
Despite hopes of his return, Pathirana did not rejoin the team and instead travelled to America with the Sri Lankan team to participate in the T20 World Cup.
This departure was a significant blow to the CSK team, as Pathirana’s absence significantly impacted their performance and contributed to their eventual collapse during the tournament.
Mustafizur Rahman
Also Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman played a crucial role for the CSK team with his exceptional bowling skills.
However, he had to leave the team in the middle of the series to join the national team of Bangladesh for international commitments.
This departure, along with the absence of another top fast bowler, significantly impacted the CSK team’s performance. As a result, the team faced challenges and was unable to secure a spot in the top four teams of the tournament.
Mumbai Indians
In a surprising turn of events, the Mumbai Indians, owned by Ambani, faced an unanticipated exit from the series. Despite their reputation as the IPL’s strongest team, they were unable to secure a spot in the latter stages of the competition.
The Mumbai Indians not only demonstrate a strong on-field performance but also hold the distinction of being the wealthiest franchise with exceptional management in the world of cricket.
Their management team includes cricketing legends such as Mahela Jayawardena and Lasith Malinga from Sri Lanka, adding further depth to the team’s expertise and experience.
The cricket pandit Mahela Jayawardana
Mahela Jayawardene is a highly esteemed personality in the cricketing world, renowned for his exceptional contributions as both a player and a coach.
His coaching prowess was evident as he led the Mumbai Indians to clinch three IPL titles. Currently, Jayawardene holds the esteemed position of the franchise’s global head of performance, where he is entrusted with the crucial responsibilities of coaching and talent scouting for MI teams participating in various global T20 leagues, including the SA20 and ILT20.
However, despite his remarkable track record, Jayawardene’s performance in the current tournament has been underwhelming.
There are indications that his usually astute decision-making ability may have been compromised, consequently impacting Nita Ambani’s strategic plans for the team.
Why was this
It is well known that Mahela Jayawardene is a respected figure in cricket. In the past, he led the MI team to great success, winning the IPL trophy three times with radical decisions.
However, in the most recent series, none of his radical decisions proved helpful, and the MI team finished at the bottom of the table.
In this situation, Mahela and Nita Ambani could only conceal their disappointment. There seemed to be a significant change in leadership.
What happened to Rohit Sharma’s captaincy ? How did Hardik Pandya become the captain at one point? This incident, which was shrouded in controversy, directly contributed to the downfall of the MI team.
Rohit Sharma was a highly successful captain of the MI team and also led the Indian team. He displayed exceptional leadership from 2013 to 2023 but was unexpectedly removed from his leadership role for the 2024 IPL series.
The reasons for his removal are unclear, but the team’s owners, who ultimately have the final say due to the team’s status as a private company, made the decision.
Rohit Sharma vs Hardik Pandya
Nita Ambani’s unprecedented decision to bring Pandya into the team and appoint him as captain sparked heated debates and conflicting opinions.
Pandya, a former player of the Mumbai Indians until 2021, was unexpectedly released by the team’s owners in 2022.
Following his departure, he joined the Gujarat Titans and remarkably led the team to victory in the IPL 2022. The decision to part ways with such a talented player remains a perplexing mystery in the IPL 2024.
Pandya’s return
It seems like Pandya’s removal from the Mumbai Indians team and his subsequent return are both shrouded in mystery. However, in a private company, the owners have the right to decide.
Unfortunately, their decision did not bode well for the team, as they suffered a significant defeat at the end of the series.
Pandya was made captain after the abrupt removal of Rohit Sharma, who had previously led the team brilliantly, adding to the mystery.
However, Nita Ambani’s decision seemed to backfire as clashes within the team began to emerge, leading to incidents on the field and criticism of Pandya’s captaincy.
The team is in a crisis
It is worth noting that the MI team faced a crisis due to Pandya’s arrival and Sharma’s departure. The situation was quite evident as a conflict emerged between Sharma and Pandya.
The players did not accept Pandya’s captaincy, and even the team’s supporters turned against him. This was noticeable during the matches as the audience expressed dissatisfaction with Pandya.
As a result, the MI team kept losing matches, and there seemed to be tension between the players and the team management. The lack of enthusiasm from the players was palpable during the matches, and Jasprit Bumrah was only successful.
Didn’t show leadership style
The question is: how suitable is Pandya for captaincy? He is a talented all-rounder who can win matches. However, his leadership attitude is not very good.
It seems that Pandya’s leadership style is creating a difficult situation for the players. His behaviour on the field is very perplexing, and spectators also feel this pressure.
Pandya often seems to be accusing the players, and the expression on his face is distressing. It’s inevitable that the players will become disinterested, and the audience is also tired of him.
As a result of this disinterest, the Mumbai Indians team is currently at the bottom of the tournament. The criticism of Pandya’s leadership style is mounting, adding to the tension within the team.
Match planning and team selection
It is widely acknowledged that the Mumbai Indians (MI) team had the weakest game plan in this year’s IPL. Despite having expert players, their utilisation in matches was quite mysterious.
A notable example is the non-utilization of Nuwan Thushara in the first seven matches. Mahela, the cricket pundit, did not have much luck in decision-making this time.
From the captain’s selection to the team’s selection for matches, there were several missed opportunities. It is well-known that Mahela will have the upper hand in decision-making alongside the team’s coach, Mark Boucher.
Final result
Amid various problems, the Mumbai Indians suffered a crushing defeat. Even with many cricket pundits, unexpected things can happen. Anyway, the MI team does have knowledgeable pundits. After all, this is a company that plays cricket.
Ambani owns it. They invest, take risks, and reap the rewards or face the losses. They have the right to make decisions. For whatever reason, this time, their plans failed utterly.
Only they know on what basis they made those decisions. Finally, Nita Ambani had to accept this. However, their fan base was disappointed.
The audience heavily criticised Hardik Pandya, both on and off the field. This suggests that MI fans believe that the series was lost due to the appointment of Hardik Pandya as captain.
