‘Hardik is paying the price of their decisions’ - Former Mumbai Indians Player Slams Team For Poor Show In IPL 2024

Former Mumbai Indians player CM Gautam recently criticized Mumbai Indians team management for poor decisions throughout the ongoing IPL 2024. The joint most successful team franchise in the IPL is currently struggling for form and has managed to win only three games of the 11 league stage matches they have played. 

Mumbai Indians had a major transition for the season as they replaced their most successful captain Rohit Sharma with the Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya. The team management’s strategies went against the odds as the team continued their time at the bottom of the points table. 

CM Gautam reflects on Mumbai Indians Failed Campaign in IPL 2024 

In a recent interview with the founder of Indian Sports Fans’, Sunil Yash Kalra on NewsX, CM Gautam reflected on Mumbai Indians poor campaign in IPL 2024. Gautam compared Mumbai’s performance in the ongoing tournament with that of the Bengaluru traffic, calling it disappointing and emphasise how the team has a gun lineup but the performance is substandard. 

“It's [Mumbai’s performance] worse than Bengaluru traffic. Very, very disappointing to say the least. If you look at the batting, they have a gun lineup, but the performance is very disappointing. Apart from that, none of the bowlers have been standout other than Jasprit Bumrah. Bowling performance has been terrifying except for Bumrah and Coetzee. The trolling and booing of Hardik Pandya across various stadiums have played a major role in the loss of their confidence,” Gautam discussed. 

He further added that the team management could have waited another year to transfer the captaincy banter from Rohit Sharma to Hardik Pandya. Gautam opined that Hardik Pandya is paying the price of Mumbai Indians team management’s poor decisions, since they are the ones involved in the decision making process while Hardik is out in the public, executing them.   

“The way they changed the leadership, I don’t think it was needed at that time, they could have waited for another season. I would blame the management more than anyone, they are making the decisions, and they are the ones who are responsible for the team. I think Hardik is paying the price of management’s decisions,” he added. 

After their recent 24 runs thumping loss against Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians stand on the ninth position of the IPL 2024 points table with six points. The team will next lock horns with sunrisers Hyderabad on May 6 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.