The most successful team in IPL history has lost its spark this time and unless they stage a quick turnaround, Mumbai Indians could soon find themselves struggling for a place in the play-offs.
Tuesday will present them with a chance to regroup and make a comeback when they face Punjab Kings, who are notoriously inconsistent.
Mumbai, with Rohit Sharma as the captain and a galaxy of top stars, have struggled in every game in the second leg of IPL 2021. With three back-to-back losses, they have slipped to the seventh spot.
Mumbai’s main concern is their batting, the misfiring middle-order to be precise. While openers Rohit and Quinton de Kock haven’t had that bad a time on the pitch, the ones who follow them in the batting order — Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard — have looked terribly out of form. With the batsmen failing to put up enough on the board or chase down totals, there is increased pressure on the bowling department.
Punjab Kings skipper KL Rahul. File photo
Punjab, on the other hand, seem to be a team which can win difficult games and lose easy ones. They have eight points, the same as Mumbai, and are coming off a win over Sunrisers Hyderabad. They have a formidable batting line-up led by captain KL Rahul and their bowling unit too can win matches.
But Punjab, coached by Anil Kumble, have often flattered to deceive. And that is exactly why it is a good opportunity for Mumbai to bounce back on Tuesday.