Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has raised major question marks over the Mumbai Indians (MI) batting lineup following their 18-run defeat at the hands of defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, April 12, in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Pathan stated that it was concerning to see MI’s star-studded bowling lineup go for 240 in home conditions in the first place. However, the pitch was good enough for the five-time champions to get closer to the 240-run target if not outright chase it. The former left-arm seamer pointed towards MI losing wickets at regular intervals and a lack of control in the middle overs as the main reasons behind their disappointing loss.
“There are concerns with the batting, no doubt, but the bigger issue starts with conceding 240. Having said that, chasing 241 on a pitch like this, you still expect them to get closer. The problem was the lack of a solid start in the Powerplay and losing wickets early, which put pressure on the middle order. In the middle overs, there were phases where they could have gone big but didn’t. Hardik Pandya got runs but never looked in full control, Tilak Varma has now had a few quiet innings, and players like Rickelton need to find more options against spin. Those small gaps made the difference,” Pathan said on JioStar.
MI made a positive start to their run chase and were 56 for the loss of no wickets after the first five overs. Unfortunately, they had to lose Rohit Sharma moments later after he was forced to retire hurt due to a hamstring issue. After that, MI were chasing the whole game.
The Indians lost both Ryan Rickelton and Tilak Varma in the eighth over, bowled by Suyansh Sharma. The very next over, bowled by Krunal Pandya, went for just five runs, which increased the required run-rate to 14.18.
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Apart from a late flourish from Sherfane Rutherford, no MI batter had looked comfortable out there in the middle. The West Indies international scored an unbeaten 71 off just 31 balls to narrow down the deficit to just 18 runs.
