IPL 2018: 4 major disappointments for Mumbai Indians

Much to the disappointment of all the fans of the Mumbai Indians, the franchise's journey in IPL 2018 has come to a crashing end. With Delhi Daredevils handing them a defeat, the defending champions' hopes of making it to the playoffs were blown away.

While Mumbai Indians did manage to gather momentum in their final few games, it was their poor run of form in the initial stages that dented their chances this year. With several big guns failing to deliver the goods consistently, they were found wanting on multiple occasions and ended up losing games that they should have run away with. Here are 4 players from Mumbai Indians who proved to be major disappointments this year.

#4 Hardik Pandya (with the bat)

At the start of the season, Hardik Pandya was expected to be one of the shining lights for Mumbai Indians this year. Being one of the three retained players ahead of the auction, the Jr Pandya came into the squad as one of the senior pros expected to take up the responsibility with both bat and ball.

While Pandya stood out as Mumbai's leading wicket-taker this season, it was with the bat that the man from Gujarat failed on several occasions. Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard's lack of form meant that the 24-year-old had to take the onus of finishing off the games for his team.

However, unlike the previous editions, he couldn't quite manage to win games for Mumbai with the bat this year. In fact, Pandya's bizarre innings (3 runs off 19 balls) against Sunrisers Hyderabad while chasing a target of 119 drew the ire of the internet trolls and stands as a glaring example of his ordinary outings this year.

#3 Mustafizur Rahman

Mustafizur fizzled out in the latter stages

Mustafizur Rahman took the Indian Premier League by storm in 2016 when he wreaked havoc with the ball and played a crucial role in helping Sunrisers Hyderabad lift their maiden title. The lanky left-arm pacer was hailed for his immaculate line and length and variations that outfoxed the batsmen on a regular basis. However, two years down the line, the man seems to have lost a bit of his sheen. Also, with injury playing spoilsport, Rahman seems to have lost his pace, which did not help Mumbai Indians in IPL 2018.

After starting off the tournament on a decent note, Mustafizur Rahman faded away as the season progressed. The man from Bangladesh couldn't quite live up to his expectations of a T20 specialist and in the 7 matches he played, managed to pick up only 7 wickets at an economy rate of 8.36.

#2 Kieron Pollard

Kieron Pollard 's performances this year were disappointing, to say the least

Over the years, Kieron Pollard has grown synonymous with the Mumbai franchise. Winning games with some blistering fours and towering sixes, the man became a huge favourite of the crowd at the Wankhede in the past seven years or so.

After losing Jos Buttler ahead of the season, Mumbai Indians pinned their hopes on Pollard to deliver the goods as one of the overseas batsmen. However, IPL 2018 was a forgettable one for the West Indian. The right-hander failed to step up to the occasion and guide his team home. Despite being provided with ample opportunities, the man from Trinidad and Tobago failed to prove his mettle this season. In 8 innings, Pollard scored a paltry 133 runs at a dismal average of 19.

#1 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma looked off color throughout the tournament

Generally, fans tend to associate Rohit Sharma with huge scores in the IPL each year. However, that wasn't the case this season. Being the lynchpin of Mumbai Indians, Rohit Sharma's form usually has a huge say in deciding the franchise's fate in the tournament.

Coming off a decent run in the Nidahas Trophy held in Sri Lanka, Rohit Sharma was expected to lead the team from the front. However, the right-handed batsman hit a rough patch and couldn't replicate the previous year's heroics this time around. With 286 runs in the 14 games that he played, Sharma fell short of inspiring his team to their third title.