Mumbai Indians had a topsy-turvy Indian Premier League 2023 as they started the season with back-to-back defeats against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings. However, they bounced back well with three wins on a trot and once again lived up to their tag of slow starters.
They followed the same pattern throughout the season and in the end, their place in the playoffs was in jeopardy at one stage but Gujarat Titans unlocked the door for them by beating RCB in the last match of the league stage.
Mumbai finished fourth on the points table and managed to reach playoffs but suffered a loss to Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2.
IPL 2023 Record
Played: 14; Won: 8; Lost: 6; Standing: 4
High Point of the Season
Beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last league match and outclassing Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator was the high point for Mumbai Indians in the season. The two wins were crucial for the franchise and came in some critical situations. The place for the playoffs was on the line when they faced SRH in the league stage and Cameron Green lived up to the hype around him to smash a scintillating hundred and got his team over the line in a 201-run chase. While team produced collective effort on the field at alien conditions in Chepauk to outclass LSG.
Low Point of the Season
Considering it was a topsy-turvy ride, there wasn’t a particular low point for MI as they bounced back well every time after a couple of defeats but the loss to Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 must’ve shattered them.
MI were exposed in the bowling department against a class batter – Shubman Gill who smashed them all around the park. While the poor form of Rohit Sharma also continued in the mega clash as Mumbai failed to reach the final.
Captaincy verdict
Rohit is known as one of the best captains in IPL history and he showed it once again why.
The 35-year-old led his troops well when the team was dealing with injuries to a host of players including Jasprit Bumrah, Jofra Archer and Jhye Richardson. He used his bowlers well under pressure situation to reach the playoffs.
However, his personal form with the bat was a concern for the team throughout the season as many critics have advised him to step down as skipper from next season which might release some pressure off his shoulders and help him regain form.
Most Valuable Player
Suryakumar Yadav: SKY once again turned out to be MVP for Mumbai Indians as he smashed 605 runs this season in 14 matches at an average of 43.21 which includes five half-centuries and a century.
SKY entered the tournament with a poor form as he registered a hat-trick of golden ducks against Australia in the ODI series prior to that. The 32-year-old also had an underwhelming start to the season but he picked up at the right time to put Mumbai’s and his season back on track.
Major Disappointment
Rohit: It was the fourth season in a row where Rohit failed to cross the 400-run mark in IPL. He scored just 332 runs in 16 matches at an average of 20.75. It was another forgettable outing for Rohit in the second qualifier as he was dismissed for 8 in the all-important clash against defending champions GT.
The swashbuckling opener has scored just two half-centuries this season and six in the past four. Rohit might have to reinvent his T20 game.
Jofra Archer: The five-time champions signed Archer ahead of IPL 2022 despite knowing he won’t be available for the season. They backed him when things were not going right for the Englishman regarding his fitness and he made a comeback for them in IPL 2023. However, it turned out to be a disaster for both the parties/ Archer managed to play just five matches before getting injured once again. Even in the five matches which he played, the English paceman managed to claim just two wickets and leaked runs at an economy of 9.5.
Season Verdict
Looking at their performance last season, MI looked like an improved side this season as they developed some young guns like Akash Madhwal, Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera into match-winners. However, they might be disappointed at not reaching the final but considering they finished as the third-best team of the tournament, it could be tagged as a fairly decent outing.
Top Stats
- Most Runs: Suryakumar Yadav – 605 runs
- Most Wickets: Piyush Chawla – 22 wickets
- Highest Individual Score: Suryakumar Yadav – 103* runs
- Best Bowling Figures: Akash Madhwal – 5/5
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