Making sense of the Mumbai Indians' decline

“The sort of season we have had, when we get to 169, then we can have this conversation”

These were Kieron Pollard’s words when Harsha Bhogle asked him if Mumbai feel comfortable chasing 169 against Lucknow Super Giants in Match 37. Pollard had a subtle grin on his face while Bhogle completed his question. It visualized the frustration of a shocking season that has now sunk Mumbai to eight consecutive defeats. 

When Rohit Sharma blazed consecutive boundaries off Jason Holder in the sixth over, things seemed to be on course for them. Both boundaries, a four followed by a six, were laden with Rohit’s sublime touch. It was Sachin Tendulkar’s birthday. Mumbai were playing at Wankhede for the first time since the turn of the decade. Yes, a playoff qualification was improbable but a win on this Sunday night would have been the perfect healer. 

Not to be, they lost their way again. Falling short by a big margin of 36 runs chasing what many believed to be a par score has only worsened the blows. Then what has contributed to such a shambolic season? Let's try to make sense of the mighty Mumbai’s downfall this season. 

Kishan's kept quiet

While Rohit Sharma ticked along, Ishan Kishan struggled to get the ball off the square in a shocking innings of 8 from 20 balls. Both openers have struggled throughout but Kishan’s crashing season has hurt Mumbai in multiple ways. 

With a purse of around 48 crore in the auction, Mumbai spent 15 crores, nearly one-third, to acquire Kishan. His upside was the pace with which he could score. In the 2020 and 2021 seasons combined, the young left-hander scored 757 runs averaging 42.1 at a strike rate of 141.8. 

This season, thus far, Kishan has scored 199 runs in eight innings. More than his average (28.4), the concern lies in the sluggish strike rate of 108.2. Among the 12 batters who have scored 100 runs or more in the powerplay, Kishan’s strike rate of 98.2 is the lowest. 

In comparison, Rohit has scored at 135.3 during the field restrictions. He has averaged only 26.8 but with a healthier strike rate, the skipper has still had a better impact.

Such was Kishan’s plight against Lucknow that he was more convinced about his dismissal than the umpires. He was sure he is out when he didn’t see the ball bump off Quinton de Kock’s boot. It appeared as if he wanted to put an end to this innings and have a fresh start when Mumbai play next. 

Pollard's poor run

Mumbai and Kieron Pollard’s fortunes have intertwined ever since the relationship was established in 2010. After a lean patch in 2018, he made a storming comeback, vindicating Mumbai’s faith in him. The same has not been translated this year. 

Teams have started targeting his weak zones far too often - pacers bowling wide outside the off-stump, consistent chin music, and wrist-spinners nailing him with googlies. Not to forget the placement of a fielder behind the bowler is still working like a charm against him.

In IPL 2022, he averages only 16.4, striking at 127.8. At the death, where he is supposed to be most effective, he has both the lowest strike rate and average among those who have scored 80 runs or more. 

It is Mumbai’s ill fortune that Pollard’s decline has coincided with the absence of the Pandya brothers. With proven batting only till number six, Pollard has a lot more to do when he is fighting his own battle. 

Not addressing the right issues

Hence, it is baffling that Mumbai have not used the option of reducing the pressure off Pollard by featuring Tim David in the XI. 

Bought at 8.25 crore, David was unceremoniously dumped after two games. In the first, he walked out to bat in the 16th over with the task to accelerate from the word go. In the second, he was undone by a beautiful leg-break from the current cap holder Yuzvendra Chahal. 

Mumbai have since preferred an 18-year-old sensation Dewald Brevis. He has shown flashes of brilliance but with both Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma in form, number three hasn’t been Mumbai’s problem. It is the finisher’s slot that they have left unaddressed despite having the personnel in David. 

Having played only two overseas players in their 7-wicket defeat against RCB, Rohit mentioned they wanted to strengthen their batting but a few foreign recruits were unavailable. However, the only benched overseas batter in the squad, David, was seen doing the substitute fieldsman duties. 

Rohit’s words only stirred the plot further. 

Sticking with the same plans

The rigidity has cost Mumbai as much with the ball as it has with the bat. Ignoring the lack of quality options in their bowling ranks, they have stuck with the combination of four pacers, including two overseas bowlers. 

With Trent Boult joining Rajasthan Royals, they have lost the firepower to pick early wickets. None of their new recruits Basil Thampi, Jaydev Unadkat, Tymal Mills, and Daniel Sams have responded to fill that hole. In fact, most of them are more focussed on ceasing the flow of runs and they have failed in that criteria too. 

Sams and Unadkat are similar kinds of bowlers who should be a replacement for each other rather than playing in the same XI. An unproductive season for their talisman Jasprit Bumrah - five wickets in eight matches - has left them crippled. It is a consequence of underwhelming returns from others that have allowed the opposition to see off Bumrah more effectively.  

Hence, Mumbai’s bowling numbers lie in the bottom half of the points table in every phase. They haven’t dared to try anything new - something like playing two spinners. 

Maybe now that they are officially out of the playoffs race, they will shift to a different combination.