Former Australia captain Michael Clarke believes internal divisions within the Mumbai Indians franchise could prevent them from reaching the playoffs in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). Clarke made these remarks ahead of MI's April 30 clash against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Lucknow's Ekana Stadium. Mumbai currently sits second-to-last in the points table with only three wins in nine matches.
Speaking on Star Sports, Clarke dismissed MI's chances of finishing among the top four teams in the group stage. He hinted at potential internal conflicts within the team, suggesting it's unusual for a team with such talent to perform inconsistently. "Yeah, I don't know they will make it to the playoffs. I think it's wishful thinking for Mumbai this entire IPL. "I think there's a lot more going on than what we are seeing on the outside, and you can't have that many good players and perform this inconsistently," Clarke said.
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"So, I think there are different groups inside that changing room and something is not working, they are not gelling together, they are not playing as a team," he added.
MI has struggled with consistency throughout the season. After a slow start, they won consecutive matches against Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore but couldn't maintain momentum. The Hardik Pandya-led side needs to win their remaining five matches to qualify for the playoffs. The team's dynamics have been a topic of discussion since Hardik replaced five-time IPL-winning captain Rohit Sharma at the helm.
Clarke believes individual brilliance alone won't be enough for MI to win their sixth IPL title. "Individual brilliance might get them a win here or there – Rohit scoring a hundred, Hardik with a big knock, or another exceptional performance from Bumrah," Clarke said. "But to win big tournaments, you need to be a team, not just rely on individual performances," he continued. "Unfortunately, they haven't played well as a team. I hope they turn it around, but I can't see them winning this (LSG) game."
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