Mumbai Indians are a franchise with five IPL titles to their name, yet their recent trajectory in the league has looked closer to a downward spiral than a return to form. After winning the championship most recently in 2020, they have struggled across the subsequent five seasons, managing only a single place in the playoffs. The team also made a major leadership change, moving captaincy duties from Rohit Sharma to Hardik Pandya, but results have not followed. This campaign, MI finally broke an early curse with a win in their first outing, but the revival was short-lived—after eight matches they had won just twice, leaving their prospects looking bleak.
What derailed MI in the Wankhede clash
- MI hosted Sunrisers Hyderabad at Wankhede Stadium, and despite a strong total, they were unable to hold their ground.
- They failed to defend 243 as SRH chased down the target successfully.
- The post-match conversation quickly turned to MI’s use of Shardul Thakur as an Impact Player, with the key complaint being that he was brought in but not used for any bowling overs.
The manner of Shardul’s involvement became a talking point far beyond match tactics, sparking debate about whether MI fully leveraged their options. Virender Sehwag and Murali Kartik discussed the decision and the broader issues it reflected, including how a wicket-taking bowler ended up not being used in the innings when overs mattered.
On Cricbuzz, Kartik admitted he was confused by the choice. “Even I didn’t understand,” he said. “Maybe they brought him in as an option, but perhaps they forgot about it or something else. I actually did not understand. Search me. I have the same expression as you.”
Sehwag then tried to lighten the mood with a playful jab mid-discussion. He asked Kartik whether he could hand him a can of Red Bull so Sehwag could spray it on Kartik’s face. The moment left Kartik visibly uncomfortable, and he responded by pushing back on Sehwag’s line of questioning.
When Sehwag pointed out that Shardul should have been made to bowl because he is a bowler known for taking wickets, Kartik asked the more direct question: “Why don’t you tell me?” Sehwag explained his view, but Kartik pressed him on the core issue—why the plan had been different in practice. That’s when even Sehwag appeared to have no ready answer, saying: “The answer to that question is with Hardik Pandya.”
After that exchange, the discussion moved back toward the larger picture of MI’s performance. Sehwag was critical of the team’s overall showings, while Kartik offered a different angle on Shardul’s match-to-match impact.
Kartik argued that Shardul’s recent record suggests he has contributed with wickets when given the chance. “Shardul played one match and has gone wicketless in only one match, against DC,” Kartik said. “He picked up three against the KKR and another against the Punjab Kings. So he’s picked at least one wicket every match. He was expensive, but then don’t pick him if that’s what you worry about. That could have been the only reason why he wasn’t allowed to bowl.”
MI in a do-or-die position
With their league campaign now firmly on the edge, MI face a steep challenge from here. They sit second from the bottom and are effectively in a do-or-die situation, where each additional loss could sharply reduce their chances of reaching the playoffs.
