IPL 2018: Mayank Markande Lost a Bit of Spark in his Bowling - Sunil Gavaskar

Mumbai Indians are yet to find their groove in the ongoing IPL season. They have managed two wins in their first seven games and will need to win almost all of their remaining matches to qualify for the playoffs. However, despite the terrible form of Mumbai Indians, young spinner Mayank Markande is the story of the season.

An utterly unknown quantity before IPL 2018, Mayank Markande was bought by Mumbai for his base price of ₹20 Lakh.

The 20-year old took the big stage by storm. Mayank managed seven wickets in his first two games and was very impressive. But teams slowly started to read him, and his contribution was only decent in the games to follow. He managed four wickets in Mumbai’s next six games.

Sunil Gavaskar says the young wrist spinner is not so dominant like he was at the start of the season.

“Bowling is a problem for Mumbai too, though Bumrah bowled superbly against Chennai. Markande has lost a bit of the spark that he had at the start of the tournament, and the fizz is not quite there in Mustafizur, too, so far this season,” Gavaskar wrote in his Times of India column.

Traditionally known for their slow starts, Mumbai Indians once again had just two wins in the first half this season.

They will once again need to play at their best in order to qualify for the playoff spots this season.

If there is one team that can do it, then it has to be Mumbai Indians. They have proved time and again why they are the best team in the adversary.

Bangalore are also in a similar situation winning just two games at the halfway stage. Both teams’ weakness is their bowling. The team with the best bowling effort on the night will win the tie on Tuesday.