LSG vs MI: "There's no unity" - Michael Clarke unveils Mumbai Indians' inner turmoil in IPL 2024
Published - 30 Apr 2024, 05:31 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:11 AM
Former Australia captain and commentator Michael Clarke has delivered a scathing statement, as his honest assessment of the Mumbai Indians' (MI) miserable performance in the ongoing IPL 2024 made headlines. Clarke said that the Mumbai Indians (MI) camp is divided into different groups, due to which they are not performing as a team this season.
The former Australian batter further went on to claim that there may be underlying issues within the MI camp that are currently hidden from the world. Clarke also said that there are very slim chances for MI to qualify for the IPL 2024 playoffs.
Notably, MI made a significant change by appointing Hardik Pandya as their new captain ahead of this season, replacing the five-time IPL-winning skipper Rohit Sharma. This decision didn’t go down well with the fans, which is evident with them booing Pandya during MI’s matches this season.
It's wishful thinking for Mumbai this entire IPL: Michael Clarke
The disconnect between the team and its supporters, along with the transitional phase, has clearly affected MI’s performance in the ongoing IPL 2024, where they are currently sitting in the ninth position in the standings, having suffered defeats in six out of nine games.
Michael Clarke said on Star Sports Cricket Live: “Yeah, I don’t know (Whether they will make it to the playoffs). I think its 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. 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.”
"Individual brilliance can get MI over the line"
The former Australian skipper admitted that MI have big players like Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya, and their individual brilliance can help the team win a few matches, but they need to perform collectively at their best to win big tournaments like the IPL.
Clarke signed off by saying, “Individual brilliance can get them over the line, if Rohit Sharma comes in and gets another hundred or Hardik does something with the bat or Bumrah bowls like a genius again, you never know. I think to win big tournaments you need to be a team and not just have individual performances and unfortunately, they haven’t played well as a team so I hope they turn it around, but I can’t see them winning this game.”
With their IPL 2024 playoff hopes hanging by a thread, Mumbai Indians (MI) face the daunting task of winning all remaining matches to keep their hopes alive in the tournament.
Mumbai Indians (MI) will face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their next must-win game in the ongoing IPL 2024 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday, April 30. The LSG is currently ranked 5th in the IPL 2024 points table with 10 points from 9 games so far in the league.
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