Mumbai Indians (MI) have been eliminated from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs after Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) defeated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by ten wickets on Wednesday. SRH’s victory propelled them to third place in the standings with 14 points, while MI’s hopes of reaching the top four were dashed.
MI’s season began under the leadership of new captain Hardik Pandya, but they endured a poor start with three consecutive defeats. Despite winning three of their next four games, another streak of four successive losses severely damaged their playoff chances.
Jasprit Bumrah has been MI’s standout performer, leading the wicket charts with 18 scalps in 12 games. However, the team’s other bowlers have struggled to contain runs, and their batters have underperformed. Tilak Varma is their highest scorer with 384 runs, followed by Suryakumar Yadav with 334 runs. Rohit Sharma has managed only 330 runs in 12 innings.
Hardik has also had a disappointing season, scoring only 198 runs and taking 11 wickets with an economy rate of 10.58. MI’s overseas players, including Romario Shepherd, Mohammad Nabi, and Nuwan Thushara, have failed to make a significant impact.
The team’s spin department has been their Achilles heel, accounting for only 13 of their 68 total wickets. While they have won three of their six home games, they have struggled on the road, with their only away victory coming against Punjab Kings.
MI’s early elimination means that their wait for a sixth IPL title continues. They won their fourth and fifth trophies in 2019 and 2020, but have made the playoffs only once in the past four seasons.
