Mumbai Indians, already eliminated from playoff contention after winning only four of their 12 league matches, are still trying to salvage their season as injuries and inconsistent performances have taken their toll. Top-order batter Naman Dhir said on Tuesday that despite a turbulent campaign that also saw the franchise use three different captains, the internal culture in the dressing room has remained stable. He described the group dynamic as positive and supportive, adding that the team’s conversations have never turned sour even when results didn’t go their way.
Speaking at the pre-match media interaction ahead of MI’s encounter with Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday, Dhir stressed that the side struggled to produce a collective effort with the regularity required at this stage. “We have always had positive conversations in the team, never negative chats,” he said. “We could not put together a collective effort consistently and that’s where we lacked.”
One of the major disruptions for MI was leadership continuity. Captain Hardik Pandya missed the previous three matches due to a back spasm, an injury picked up after he last played against Chennai Super Kings on May 2. During his absence, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah took charge on different occasions, creating a season in which MI had three captains. When asked whether the frequent change at the top affected the team environment, Dhir rejected the idea outright.
“Not at all disturbing. Like people from outside say the atmosphere has always been like we’re one family. Whoever comes in as captain has different tactics and ideas, but it was never disturbing. I enjoyed playing under all of them,” Dhir said.
He also detailed the specific matches missed by Pandya and Suryakumar. Pandya sat out games against Lucknow Super Giants, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings. Suryakumar, meanwhile, was unavailable for the match in Dharamsala after the birth of his child, which meant Bumrah had to captain the side for that fixture.
Dhir then pointed to injuries to senior players as a key reason MI couldn’t meet the expectations attached to a franchise with five title wins. He noted that Rohit Sharma played only seven of MI’s 12 matches due to a hamstring problem, while Suryakumar had to step away for paternity reasons. Dhir also said that Quinton de Kock has been ruled out after sustaining a tendon injury in his left wrist, leaving MI without another important option at a crucial time.
“Rohit had a hamstring issue. Surya had to leave for paternity reasons. We missed them in crucial matches. Now Quinny (Quinton de Kock) is also ruled out. These are some of the reasons why we could not perform as per the expectations associated with Mumbai Indians. Injuries were definitely a big concern for us,” Dhir said.
He added that De Kock was ruled out for the remainder of the season with the same tendon injury in his left wrist, which he sustained ahead of MI’s home match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Dhir further shared his disappointment at the franchise’s inability to deliver silverware for its supporters. “We are really sad that we could not give the trophy to our fans. We play for them and whenever our team steps onto the ground, the aim is always to win. We will give our best in the remaining matches,” he said.
In the build-up to the KKR game, MI’s senior players—Pandya, Rohit, Suryakumar and Bumrah—skipped the match-eve training session. The players had taken part in an extensive practice on Monday, and Dhir confirmed that the squad had otherwise come together for preparations. “Everybody practised and joined the team,” he said when asked for an update on Pandya and Suryakumar.
