Both teams had to deal with out-of-form captains and injury issues this season
Shashank Kishore23-May-20226:53
Shastri: Tilak Varma has made a mark for himself
Mumbai IndiansWhere they finished
Tenth in a ten-team pool, an inferior net run-rate to Chennai Super Kings, who also finished with four wins and eight points, keeping them at the bottom of the table.Season in a nutshell
Whatever could go wrong, went wrong.Rohit Sharma finished the season without a half-century. Ishan Kishan, their costliest buy, struggled for runs and form at the top. Injured at the start, Suryakumar Yadav was unfortunately hit by injury again towards the back end. Kieron Pollard, one of their MVPs over the years, failed to fire. He struck at less than 110 while managing all of 144 runs in 11 innings. The loss of form also led to the team leaving him out for the last three games.Tymal Mills, who they hoped would be a death-bowling partner for Jasprit Bumrah, was out with injury after five games. In the games he played, he conceded runs at 11.17 an over. They lacked a reliable wristspinning option once M Ashwin lost the confidence of the team management. By the time they introduced left-arm wristspinner Kumar Kartikeya and legspinner Mayank Markande at the back end, their playoff hopes had been dashed.3:09
Rohit Sharma reflects on Mumbai’s forgettable season
Questionable move
Leaving out their big-ticket signing Tim David after a couple of poor outings. When he was eventually handed an opportunity at the back end, their campaign was done and dusted. Still, he played a big part in them winning three out of their four games – something Royal Challengers Bangalore benefited from; his whirlwind ten-ball 34 in Mumbai’s final game knocked Delhi Capitals out. Overall, he struck his 186 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 216.27, showing enough to be worthy playing the finisher’s role next year and beyond.Find of the season
Tilak Varma, the tall left-handed top-order batter, earned plaudits from Rohit, who believes he will soon be an “all-format player for India”. The high praise came on the back of a consistent season where Varma played the role of a middle-order enforcer, striking 397 runs at 131. His fearlessness, range of shots, and composure stood out.Dewald Brevis switched from Under-19 cricket to the IPL seamlessly. His aggressive middle-order hitting along with Varma bodes well for the team as they look to bounce back in 2023. Brevis can’t be judged yet on impact, even though he struck his runs at 149. However, his exciting stroke play that elicited comparison with AB de Villiers, left everyone asking for more.Notable mention
Hrithik Shokeen proved to be a handy offspinner with excellent smarts, while Kartikeya, a left-arm-everything bowler, showed he was not overawed by the big stage in the handful of games he played.1:23
Ponting – ‘It’s been one of those up-and-down seasons’
Delhi CapitalsWhere they finished
A heartbreaking fifth after missing out on the playoffs following a loss in their final league game against Mumbai.Season in a nutshell
Covid-enforced quarantines, isolations, cancelled training sessions, venue shifts, key players injured or ill – all contributed to Capitals having to mix and match their combinations at different times, leading to a lack of continuity. If they were patching together opening combinations for one game, in the next they were looking to plug a middle-order hole or their bowling attack.Prithvi Shaw’s ill-health at a crucial time caused a stir, as did Khaleel Ahmed’s absence for four games in the middle phase. Rishabh Pant’s form was patchy at best, while Lalit Yadav, whom they banked on to go big, disappointed. All this contributed to them not being able to string up more than two wins in a row at any stage.Questionable move
The rotation of fringe Indian players, especially the batters, did them no good. They started with Mandeep Singh, moved to Sarfaraz Khan, then to Ripal Patel and KS Bharat before returning to Sarfaraz. This game of musical chairs may have affected the players too.Find of the season
Mitchell Marsh showed he is no longer the injury-prone allrounder that teams used to be wary of picking. Two impact knocks with the bat at No. 3 and handy contributions with the ball meant he had his best season in 11 years – qualitatively, of course. Kuldeep Yadav rediscovered his mojo after an indifferent last three IPL seasons, picking 21 wickets in 14 games.Notable mention
Back to where it all started in 2009, David Warner seamlessly switched back in with a chart-topping 432 runs at a strike rate of 150. Axar Patel’s lower-order hitting came of age and Rovman Powell brought with him the promise of greater things as a finisher.
