The Mumbai Indians (MI) are officially eliminated from the IPL 2024. With just four wins from 12 matches, the Hardik Pandya-led side is the first team to be knocked out of the tournament. MI Paltan won’t be happy with their team not reaching the playoffs, but for the Indian cricket team, their exit could be fruitful.
Why MI’s early exit from IPL bodes well for India
Four of India’s top performers, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Suryakumar, all play for the franchise. Not only are they all included in the 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup 2024, but all of them are immediate starters in the playing XI as well.
Scheduled to play their final match of the season on May 17, this means that the four stars will have nearly three weeks to prepare for the first T20 World Cup 2024 match against Ireland on June 5.
Injuries
Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav came into the IPL 2024 season on the back of injuries. Hardik was out for nearly five months, and Surya spent 3 months in rehab as well. Keeping that in mind, it’ll help both to take the necessary time off and ensure that they don’t push themselves to their limits. Jasprit Bumrah has had his share of injuries as well, and he’d like to cool off for a while before flying across the Atlantic.
Fitness
Rohit Sharma isn’t a spring chicken anymore, and as the leader of the Indian cricket team, he needs to be at his best. He’s been playing cricket non-stop since December last year, and time off will help him stay focused and fresh. As fast bowlers, Hardik and Bumrah also need to manage their workloads so they can improve their fitness and recover during these weeks.
T20 WC
Mental fatigue
Just like Rohit, Bumrah has been playing continuously since December. He had short breaks in January and during the India vs England Test series, but some extra time couldn’t hurt given the immense responsibility he has on his shoulders. For Pandya, it’ll be getting back in his groove amid immense scrutiny from fans and even experts. The Mumbai Indians skipper has been jeered at by crowds, and his team’s poor performance hasn’t helped his mental peace either.
Form
Barring Bumrah (purple cap holder) and Suryakumar (334 runs at 176.71 strike rate), the other two MI haven’t had great success in IPL 2024. Rohit (1 century and 0 fifties) has done well in the powerplay but failed to kick on. Hardik has not done well with the bat (198 runs), and while he’s taken wickets (11 wickets), he’s giving away more than 10 runs per over.
A little bit of extra time can help them get into the form. Given that Rohit will open and Pandya is the best pace-bowling all-rounder India has, their form can be the deciding factor as to how the Men in Blue perform at the T20 World Cup 2024.
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