Struggling Indian Premier League franchise Mumbai Indians finds itself embroiled in internal turmoil as senior members question the team's functioning under captain Hardik Pandya. The five time champions have been officially eliminated from the cash rich league for this seasom after Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 10 wickets yesterday. The decision to replace Rohit Sharma, who led the team to five IPL titles, with Hardik Pandya hasn't been well-received, evident in fans' vocal displeasure directed at Pandya during matches. According to reports, key players expressed concerns to the coaching staff about a lack of cohesion in the dressing room, attributing it to Hardik's leadership style.
An official from Mumbai Indians downplayed it as typical teething problems associated with leadership transitions in sports, emphasizing the adjustment period after a decade under Rohit's captaincy.Notably, a meeting ensued among players and coaching staff, including veterans like Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah. During discussions, grievances were aired out, pointing to reasons for the team's underperformance. Subsequent one-on-one interactions between certain seniors and team management representatives followed. Tensions escalated after Hardik Pandya's post-match comments seemingly criticized teammate Tilak Varma for a tactical error.
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"When Axar Patel (DC bowler) was bowling to a left-hander (Tilak), the better option could have been to go after him," Hardik told the broadcasters. "I think it was just a little game awareness that e missed out on. At the end of the day, that cost us the game." The blaming of one player for the team's failure, sources said, didn't go down well in the dressing room. . Former Australia captain Michael Clarke went to the extent of saying that the franchise seems to be divided in factions. "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," said Clarke.Ml officials said the franchise, like every year, will take stock of the season and, if needed, take a call on the future of the team. Their early elimination means that MI's wait for their sixth IPL title continues, having won their fourth and fifth trophies in 2019 and 2020. Since then, they have made the playoffs only once in four seasons, in 2023 when they were eliminated by Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2.
