Mumbai Indians (MI) once again had a forgetful season in the IPL. Hardik Pandya-led MI lost their last match of the IPL 2024 to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on May 17 and signed off the season being last in the points table. Notably, after conquering the league in back-to-back seasons (2019 and 2020), they've only managed a single playoff appearance in the following three years, hitting rock bottom with a last-place finish in 2022. In an attempt to revive their fortunes, the franchise entrusted Hardik Pandya with the captaincy for the 2024 season, hoping for a fresh start. However, the gamble failed to pay off. Mumbai Indians finished a dismal 10th after suffering their 10th loss of the campaign in the season finale. This defeat, by 18 runs at their home ground, the Wankhede Stadium, summed up their lackluster performance throughout the season. Taking responsibility for the team's struggles, former MI captain Rohit Sharma admitted that IPL 2024 didn't pan out the way they planned. He emphasised that the ultimate blame lies with the team's overall performance.
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"Our season didn't go according to plan. We blame ourselves for this because we made too many mistakes during the season. We lost many games that we should have won, but that's the nature of the IPL. You get a few chances and when those chances come, you must grab them," Rohit said on JioCinema Match Centre Live.
Rohit's struggles extended beyond captaincy. He also admitted to a personal slump with the bat, failing to reach even 20 runs in six consecutive matches during the latter half of the season.
"As a batter, I know I didn't live up to the standard. But, after playing for all these years, I know that if I overthink, I won't play well. All I try is to stay in a good mindset, in the right zone, keep practicing, and improve on all the flaws in my game. That's all I kept doing," Rohit added.
Despite his overall struggles, Rohit managed to rediscover his touch in the final match against Lucknow, scoring a quickfire 68 off just 38 balls. This performance helped him finally surpass the 400-run mark in an IPL season, a feat he hadn't achieved since 2019. Rohit's focus now shifts to the T20 World Cup, which kicks off on June 2. Team India's T20 World Cup journey begins with a warm-up match against Bangladesh on June 1. Placed in Group A, they'll face USA, Canada, Pakistan, and Ireland.
The high-voltage clash against arch-rivals India and Pakistan will take on June 9. However, India's campaign will kick off on June 5 against Ireland, followed by the USA on June 12 and Canada on June 15. Interestingly, the first three matches will be played in New York, with the final group-stage game happening in Lauderhill. After their New York stint, the team will travel to the West Indies for the crucial Super 8 stage, aiming to secure a spot in the knockout rounds.
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