"Not the Mumbai Indians team we left.."- Hardik Pandya bashed left, right, and centre by Harbhajan Singh

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh was disappointed with the Mumbai Indians (MI) performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Harbhajan Singh expressed his surprise at the Mumbai Indians finishing at the bottom of the points table in the IPL 2024.

The Hardik Pandya-led team won just four out of their 14 league matches in the ongoing T20 tournament. The five-time champions finished last in the table twice in three editions of the IPL. They couldn't deliver up to expectations despite having a strong team.

We Have Not Seen For Many Years - Harbhajan Singh

Speaking on Star Sports, Harbhajan Singh noted that the current Mumbai Indians team lacks aggression and fighting spirit in comparison to past teams. Singh stated that he expected them to at least secure a top-four spot.

"This is a different team which we have not seen for many years. Mumbai Indians are always known for playing good cricket. They play aggressive cricket. It's not that they have won every year but we always used to see the fight which we haven't seen this year," Harbhajan said.

"This is definitely not the Mumbai team that we left behind. I felt even if this team didn't play well, they would come in the top four, and if not in the top four, they would be at the fifth or sixth position at least. I had never imagined that they would be at the bottom of the table. If a few more teams had been there, they would have been placed even lower," he added.

The Mumbai bowlers conceded 214 runs to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday, May 17. Nicholas Pooran scored 75 off 29 balls, including five fours and eight sixes. Nuwan Thushara and Piyush Chawla secured three wickets each.

In response, the home team managed to score 196 runs for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs. Rohit Sharma (68 runs off 38 balls) and Naman Dhir (62 off 28) scored half-centuries, while other batters failed to contribute to the team in their final league stage match.

This Team Wan Not Happy With Each Other - Harbhajan Singh

The cricketer-turned-commentator stated that Hardik Pandya's team appeared disunited throughout the season. Harbhajan Singh attributed their poor results to a lack of mingling within the team.

"Whether it was bowling, batting or fielding, this team looked scattered and it's evident from the results. An unhappy team plays cricket like this only. From the first or second game itself, it was clearly evident from the outside that this team was not happy with each other and was not mingling," Harbhajan further stated.

Harbhajan Singh concluded by stating that MI relied heavily on individual performances this season. He said that successful teams stay united regardless of the outcome. Singh expressed sadness as a former MI player that this unity was lacking in the current squad.

The 43-year-old joined the Mumbai Indians in the inaugural IPL season and stayed with the team until 2017. Singh was pivotal in their 2013 title win, taking 24 wickets that season. He took 127 wickets for MI in 136 matches at an impressive economy rate of 6.99.

Also read: Rohit Sharma's departure from Mumbai Indians confirmed by Mark Boucher