IPL 2021: "This is very unlike the Mumbai Indians" - Aakash Chopra says it breaks his heart

Aakash Chopra has said that he is heartbroken because of the Mumbai Indians' (MI) timid displays in IPL 2021 thus far.

The Mumbai Indians are currently placed sixth in the IPL 2021 points table. They hope to register wins in their three remaining league phase encounters, which will guarantee them a playoff spot.

While previewing Saturday afternoon's Indian Premier League encounter between the Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Capitals (DC) in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra highlighted that the Rohit Sharma-led side have not been their dominating selves. He said:

"The Mumbai Indians are not looking the same team they used to be. There are a lot of chinks in the armor appearing there. This is very unlike the Mumbai Indians and that breaks my heart."

The former India opener added that the Mumbai Indians have not stamped their authority this year. Chopra elaborated:

"The biggest problem with the Mumbai Indians, and that is why my heart is broken, they are not playing in a fearless and carefree fashion. When the pressure came, they didn't show their might. They are just scraping to wins."

Aakash Chopra cited the example of the Mumbai Indians not looking to achieve the 136-run target with a few overs to spare in their last encounter against the Punjab Kings to substantiate his point.

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Aakash Chopra on the Mumbai Indians' possible team changes

Saurabh Tiwary has given a decent account of himself for the Mumbai Indians [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra reckons the Mumbai Indians are unlikely to make any changes to their playing XI. He reasoned:

"I am not expecting changes. You have started playing Saurabh Tiwary, he has made runs as well. You will not want to drop him now in any case. Hardik Pandya has finally found some kind of form. Is he in top gear - no, not yet."

However, the 44-year-old added that Jayant Yadav could be in the Mumbai Indians' scheme of things. Chopra explained:

"Can you actually think of Jayant Yadav? I am just thinking aloud. You have Boult, Bumrah, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Krunal Pandya and Rahul Chahar. You may just think about Jayant Yadav, you can bowl him with the new ball as well. Shikhar Dhawan against an off-spinner could be an interesting battle."

The Mumbai Indians played Yadav ahead of Rahul Chahar in the IPL 2020 final against the Delhi Capitals (DC). The off-spinner lived up to their expectations by getting rid of Shikhar Dhawan to give the five-time champions the early advantage.