4 reasons for Mumbai Indians' slow start

Mumbai Indians have lost all three games they have played this season, and as a result, find themselves at the bottom of the points table yet again, at the start of a new IPL season.

The Mumbai-based franchise is among the most successful franchises in the IPL. MI have won the IPL title three times, along with two Champions' League triumphs.

Although MI boast a win percentage of 58.27% in the last 10 seasons, they have often been found guilty of being slow starters. Mumbai have failed to win their opening game for 6 seasons now and their record at the start of the season remains dismal.

Let us have a look at the possible reasons for Mumbai Indians' slow start in this years' IPL.

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#1 Rohit Sharma's form

Rohit has been out of form in the first three games.

Rohit Sharma is known for his sublime batting and a textbook-perfect technique. He has, time and again, demolished bowling line-ups single-handedly.

However, the Mumbai batsman is often found vulnerable at the start of his innings. He is known to take time at the start of his innings to get into the groove.

Similarly, it takes him a few matches to get going in the IPL. This rustiness of the captain rubs on to the other players as well. Historically, MI's IPL campaign has been like a typical inning of Rohit Sharma. A slow start followed by firing on all cylinders.

In the three games of this season, Rohit has scored mere 44 runs at an average of 14.67.

#2 Injuries at the start of the season

MI lost Pat Cummins this season due to a back injury

Historically, Mumbai Indians are among the worst hit teams in terms of injuries. They have had to replace players like Lasith Malinga, Lendl Simmons and Aaron Finch in the past due to injuries. All this results in the change of their game plan.

IPL teams prepare the strategies in advance and last minute changes to those strategies have not gone well with the MI squad.

This season, too, the Mumbai team lost the services of two fast-bowlers, Pat Cummins and Jason Behrendorff, owing to injury.

Subsequently, they had to replace the two Aussie players with Mitchell McClenaghan and Adam Milne.

#3 The backup bowlers

The back-up bowlers haven't been at their best for MI in the first three games.

Mumbai Indians, as a team, are at their best when their bowling fires on all cylinders. Traditionally, Mumbai Indians have had multiple match-winners in their bowling line-up.

However, at the start of the season, all their bowlers are not able to rise to the occasion and have led to their downfall.

This season, Mayank Markande and Jasprit Bumrah have been the pick of the bowlers. Markande, especially, was at his best in the first two games.

However, the rest of the bowlers haven't been able to provide substantial support. The fifth and sixth bowlers - Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya and Kieron Pollard - have been a touch off-colour in the first three games.

#4 Inability to close tight games

MI has lost three close games in a row now.

MI have lost all the three games by a narrow margin, and their inability to seize critical moments has hurt them badly.

In the first game against CSK, MI were well ahead in the match until Bravo's match-turning innings. In the second game against SRH, they came back from behind, but could not close the game in the final over.

In the third game as well, MI took the match to the last over with 10 runs still in the bank. Delhi Daredevils, however, kept their cool in the final over to clinch the victory.

Going forward, the franchise will need to address these issues if they are to qualify for the playoffs. Nita Ambani's team is known for comebacks and a comeback's due this time around as well.