Shamik Chakrabarty
They don’t give you death by a thousand cuts. They don’t smash you to smithereens. Usually, the pattern is that against Mumbai Indians, opponents feel they are always in the game, until they are not. They try to react, but it’s too late. That was Mumbai Indians (MI) of yore. Things have changed of late.
The IPL is fiercely competitive. But four years without a title is not befitting of a franchise of MI’s stature. Worse, they finished at the foot of the table last season, and a reportedly fractured dressing room rather than their cricket was the bigger talking point.
They have a bottomless pool of wealth, being owned by one of the richest individuals on the planet. Their scouting network is first-class. It is where a certain John Wright once mined a diamond who would be polished to emerge as the Kohinoor of Indian cricket. Jasprit Bumrah missed the first four matches of the ongoing season, as he was recovering from a back injury. After coming back, he has taken 17 wickets in 39.2 overs, with an economy rate of 6.33 and an average of 14.64.
MI have a loyal fan base. Unlike some other franchises, it’s not individual-centric. This is a reason why the Wankhede doesn’t turn yellow or red, unlike other venues, when MS Dhoni or Virat Kohli check in. A big section of the rival fans resorts to tribalism when it comes to MI. Marginal decisions going in their favour are often being seen as gerrymandering on social disgrace (social media at its worst). But the five-time IPL champions need to regain their aura, and they would expect Rohit Sharma to lead by example in the playoffs.
This has been a strange IPL for the former MI captain. He has scored 329 runs, including three half-centuries, in 13 innings at a strike rate of 147.53. But he has mostly played as an Impact Sub, seldom looking the part. Atul Wassan, the former India seamer, has even questioned Rohit’s hunger. “He (Rohit) seems to be a bit disinterested — the motivation, the fire in the belly, has satiated,” Wassan said on Bails and Banter on the OTTplay app. “He has won almost everything, from winning the T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy to retiring from Test cricket. Hence, to motivate yourself to play at this level of cricket every day is a very tough task.”
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The past six-odd months have been mixed for Rohit. He led India to the Champions Trophy triumph. He inaugurated a stand named after him at Wankhede. At the same time, he lost form badly in Tests, which eventually led to his retirement from the longer format.
In white-ball cricket, however, he still remains a match-winner on his day. The Champions Trophy final served as proof and writing him off would be fraught with risk. Big players turn up on big occasions. Hardik Pandya is MI’s captain, but the team would like to see their senior-most player taking up the cudgels.
MI like to make things difficult for themselves. This season also, they lost four of their first five matches before going on a six-game winning run. Now, they have lost two of their last three games, coming into the playoffs. They no longer have a second chance.
In 2023, MI lost to Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2. That was pretty uncharacteristic of a side that knows the art of winning the knockouts better than the rest. Also, GT are going to the Eliminator with a 5-2 head-to-head record against MI. And yet, if there’s one team that can be backed to win three knockout fixtures on the spin to lift the trophy, the punters will have the MI bee in their bonnet.