Mumbai Indians’ campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 has been horrendous, to say the least. The five-time champions are yet to record a win this season and on Thursday (April 21), the Rohit Sharma-led side became the first team to lose their first seven games in an IPL season. With this defeat, MI’s hopes of qualifying for the playoffs are all but over and the cricket world is stunned.
After all, MI is the most successful team in IPL history and is known for its dominating performances. Meanwhile, Indian cricket legend and mentor of Mumbai Indians, Sachin Tendulkar has asked his players to stick together in these tough times. Tendulkar’s words of wisdom were shared by MI’s official Twitter page on Friday (April 22). “We are going through tough times, we must stick together. And then ride as a team,” Tendulkar was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, MI’s head coach Mahela Jayawardene has also backed out-of-form openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan to make a strong comeback in the upcoming games.
“It has been up and down. To be honest, Ishan batted really well in the first couple of games, and then a bit of a slide. Ro (Rohit) has been hitting the ball really well, he gets good starts, 15-20 runs, looking good and then not being able to convert,” Jayawardene said after his team’s three-wicket defeat Chennai Super Kings. “When that happens, and when you get out early, you feel that nothing is going your way. I have been a batsman (and) that is part and parcel but I will be concerned if they are not hitting the ball well or if they don’t have that confidence, but both of them have been batting well out there in the middle as well in the nets, added the former Sri Lankan captain. Meanwhile, MI needs to win all its remaining group-stage games to stay alive in the playoff race.
