Mumbai and Indians need to pick up the pieces from MI's collapsed castle of aspirations

The ever-so-confident looking Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya could only hold his head in disbelief and cover his eyes in horror as the hosts let the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) breach their fortress for the first time in 12 years on yet another gloomy night at the Wankhede Stadium.

Hardik's reaction perfectly sums up what lakhs of MI fans must have felt looking at their team's capitulation, especially after the situation they were in with the opposition on the mat at 57/5. From there, KKR had to dig deep and use their impact sub, compromising a bowling option to somehow reach 169.

The five-time champions had the Knight Riders at their mercy at that stage and could have gone for the kill. However, they decided to get their fifth bowler quota done and backed their batting to chase whatever they got. The plan backfired as the batting performance was another reflection of the kind of season it has been for MI.

Almost every batter had a look of disbelief and frustration while departing, suggesting that there was an element of realization that they could have executed their planned shot in a better way. One couldn't ask for a more accurate representation of the frustration that the players and the fans must have felt about the whole season.

How does a team with a bowler in as good a form as Jasprit Bumrah and a star-studded batting line-up find themselves being the first team to bow out of the race to the playoffs? This would be the question reverberating in the minds of the captain, the management, the owners, and of course the loyal followers of the Blue and Gold.

That being said, there are still three games left to play for the five-time champions. These three games can be looked at from different perspectives with respect to the T20 World Cup to be played in less than a month's time and also the potential possibility of the Mega Auction ahead of the next IPL season. Is there anything left for Mumbai Indians to salvage this season? Let's find out.

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MI should roll the dice on fresh faces & show backing

Mumbai Indians probably had a choice to make between Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs as their overseas retentions and they went with the former. It was understandable at the time as Stubbs had failed to impress in the four games that he played for MI.

However, he certainly has enjoyed a breakout campaign at the Delhi Capitals this season with 277 runs in 11 matches at a fantastic average of 55.40 and a magnificent strike rate of 185.91. While this would have given a feeling of regret to the MI think tank, they didn't help their cause further by not trusting Brevis enough.

The South African prodigy played just two games this season, scoring 46 against the Gujarat Titans and then a golden duck against the Rajasthan Royals. Mumbai's management has historically been known to back players and that's certainly not been the case with Brevis. They could assure him of playing each of the next three games and perhaps that confidence could get the best out of the youngster.

Another promising South African youngster that MI almost seems to have forgotten about is Kwena Maphaka. The youngster came into the Mumbai setup as a replacement player and was almost unfairly thrown in front of a rampant SunRisers Hyderabad team like a lamb thrown in for slaughter.

An economy rate of 14.83 in two games may make one argue that Mumbai had to make the changes to get back to winning ways. However, now that their playoff chances are all but over, the likes of Maphaka and Brevis need the backing and the continuity to get the best out of them. They may also want to have a look at resting Tim David and whether Romario Shepherd could consistently deliver the carnage he did against the Delhi capitals.

MI also have had a reputation for scouting talented uncapped gems and they do have the likes of Anshul Kambhoj (seam-bowling all-rounder from Haryana) and Shivalik Sharma (batter from Baroda) on the bench. Saurashtra wicketkeeper Harvik Desai is also a potential long-term back-up to Ishan Kishan and they could think about giving him an opportunity.

Mumbai have had the issue of finding a quality spinner for the past few seasons and it may not harm them to have a look at left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya once again. It could also give them an idea about whether they want to think about these players long-term with a new auction cycle on the horizon.

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What about the T20 World Cup-bound 'Indians' in Mumbai Indians?

While Mumbai's season is all but done in terms of playoff hopes, four major names in the XI who took the field against Kolkata will be at the heart of India's T20 World Cup 2024 charge - Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah.

Rohit at IPL 2023: Eliminator - Lucknow Super Giants v Mumbai Indians

After a promising 297 runs in the first half of IPL 2024, there was a lot of talk about Rohit potentially having his best IPL season in terms of the number of runs. However, it has all gone downhill since then as the veteran opener scored just 29 runs in his next four games, getting to double digits in just one of them.

The former MI captain's dismissals particularly against the Delhi Capitals (caught at mid-on), Lucknow Super Giants (caught at short covers), and Kolkata Knight Riders (caught at short mid-wicket) have seen him lose his shape and stable base, with the bat twisting in his hand at the point of impact.

One of the sweetest timers of the ball the game has ever seen, Rohit Sharma probably may use the next three games to try and see what happens when he gives himself that teeny amount of deliveries upfront to get an understanding about the pitch rather than going for the kill from the get-go.

There are two ways of working on lost rhythm - either to get game time and find it back or just rest from games. It will be interesting to see how MI handle this, particularly with Rohit not fielding against KKR because of a precautionary measure taken due to a minor stiff back.

Hardik Pandya's form with the ball has gradually improved and it was particularly noticeable in the previous couple of games. He picked up the crucial wickets of KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda in Lucknow and then backed himself to remove the dangerous Sunil Narine in the powerplay. The more he bowls, the better it could be for India in the T20 World Cup.

However, a massive issue that Hardik needs to deal with is the loss of form in his batting. 198 runs in 11 innings at an average of 19.8 doesn't even remotely justify his talent with the willow. However, he himself is largely responsible for that as the all-rounder hasn't backed himself to bat higher up the order enough in Blue and Gold this season.

In 28 IPL matches at No. 4, Hardik has scored 687 runs at a strike rate of 139.06 and an average of 42.93 with three half-centuries. He scored a fine 46 against Delhi Capitals when he promoted himself to No. 5 and showed what he was capable of if he got enough deliveries to get set. Him getting game time with the bat is again crucial for the Men in Blue.

Suryakumar at IPL 2023: Qualifier 2 - Gujarat Titans v Mumbai Indians

Despite a half-century against KKR, it hasn't quite been the season that Suryakumar Yadav would have hoped for given the standards that he set last year with 605 runs from 16 games. After missing the first three games of IPL 2024 while recovering from a sports hernia, SKY has had several soft dismissals that he would want to iron out.

When the current No. 1 T20I batter gets a juicy full toss, it is generally deposited in the second tier over fine leg. But on Friday, that went straight up in the air and was the defining moment of the game when the wicketkeeper caught it. Suryakumar's reaction was enough to suggest that he knew he is better than that and India need him at his best.

With 17 wickets in 11 matches at an incredible economy rate of 6.25, Bumrah is head and shoulders above the rest this season and is rightly the Purple Cap holder. However, a big debate has already begun about his workload management, with the T20 World Cup on the horizon.

Does Bumrah not take any further part in IPL 2024 and get preserved for the T20 World Cup? Will the franchise want to risk finishing last? Does Bumrah himself want a rest given how many fast bowlers believe in having that momentum carry on?

If the star speedster gets rested, MI can look at the likes of Arjun Tendulkar and Akash Madhwal to express themselves without any baggage of expectations. Tendulkar hasn't got a chance this season and Madhwal, after a torrid five games, will be itching to come back and finish the season on a high.

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Lastly, another perspective that the Mumbai Indians may want to have a look at is that of the fans. The period between 2013 and 2020 saw them witness an unprecedented five IPL titles under the able leadership of Rohit Sharma. The change in guard has certainly generated mixed reactions and the white noise caused by that seems to have directly made an impact on MI's performances.

However, Mumbai should spare a thought for those who still hung around and believed in the transition after seeing the team make it to the playoffs last year with a weaker bowling attack. Potentially getting the wooden spoon twice in three years is not what the fans expect, especially given the high standards the franchise has set for themselves.

A postmortem of their disastrous IPL 2024 campaign and some tough calls seem inevitable. However, for now, Mumbai Indians need to deliver performances that salvage some pride and make them worthy of making eye contact with their loyal but beleaguered fans.