Mumbai Indians (MI) became the first team to be knocked out of IPL 2024 last night (May 8). Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) crushed the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in yesterday's IPL game, which resulted in MI getting eliminated.
Had LSG beaten SRH, MI would still have an outside chance of qualifying for the next round. However, the Super Giants suffered a 10-wicket loss at the hands of the Sunrisers, which has resulted in the Indians getting eliminated.
MI still have two more league matches remaining in IPL 2024. Although they have won just four games this season, there have been some positives for the team. Here's a list of the biggest positives for MI to take from IPL 2024.
#1 Tilak Varma establishes himself as a consistent performer in the middle-order
All eyes were on Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, and Hardik Pandya in MI's batting lineup for IPL 2024. However, youngster Tilak Varma has emerged as the best batting performer of the tournament for MI so far.
Shedding some light on Tilak's numbers, the left-handed batter has amassed 384 runs in 12 innings at an average of 42.66 and a strike rate of 147.12. He is likely to be retained ahead of the next mega auction.
#2 Suryakumar Yadav roars back to form
Suryakumar Yadav missed the first few matches of IPL 2024 owing to an injury. He recovered to full fitness and joined the squad midway during the tournament. The Mr. 360 of Mumbai Indians was a little inconsistent before, but he roared back to form with a fine century against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Yadav's tally stands at 334 runs from nine innings. Despite missing the first few games, Yadav has emerged as the second-highest run-getter for Mumbai this season.
#3 Jasprit Bumrah proves himself as the biggest match-winner with the ball in IPL 2024
The ongoing IPL season has been dominated by the batters. Teams have scored 200+ totals consistently, and Punjab Kings even chased down a 260+ target in a match against Kolkata Knight Riders.
In such a tournament, MI's Jasprit Bumrah has bagged 18 wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of 6.2. Bumrah's performance has been the brightest spot from MI's campaign this year.
#4 Romario Shepherd shows promise
After Kieron Pollard's retirement, it looks like MI have finally found a replacement for him in Romario Shepherd. He was the Man of the Match in Mumbai's win against the Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium.
Although some fans would argue that he hasn't been used well, Shepherd has scored 56 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 280. If given enough opportunities, Shepherd can be a long-term asset for MI.
#5 The rise and rise of Nehal Wadhera
It was surprising to see Nehal Wadhera absent from the MI playing XI for the first few matches. He finally received a chance to play against Rajasthan Royals, and the youngster showed his value with a 49-run knock in a tricky situation.
Wadhera then chipped in with a 46-run knock against Lucknow Super Giants when MI were down to 27/4 in the sixth over. A player like him can carry MI's batting on his shoulders for the years to come.
