Can Mumbai pull off the Houdini act again?
As seen in the 2014 and 2015 editions, when Mumbai made the playoffs after initial struggle, Rohit Sharma’s team showed a knack of bringing out their best in adverse situations
MUMBAI: Three-time winners in the IPL, Mumbai Indians are back on familiar turf once again.
The embarrassing defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday was MI’s fifth in first six matches of IPL 11, leaving the Rohit Sharma-led team in a desperate need to end to its woes.
But Mumbai need not look elsewhere for inspiration, for they know the way out through these lanes. Be it their poor start to the IPL in its inaugural edition in 2008, or in 2015 when they won the trophy for the second time despite losing five out of the first six games, MI have time and again defied odds to clinch victories.
The IPL editions of 2013, 2014 and even 2015 — when they won the trophy for the second time — showed how dramatic Mumbai Indians’ journey could get, and that the team has a knack of bringing out their best in adverse situations. Mumbai captain Rohit knows to do what his team has done over the years also gives them confidence to bounce back from adverse situations, and he remains hopeful of repeating earlier feats. “We know it is not the end of the world and Mumbai have always lost the first game and won the title. I hope it is the same this year,” Rohit said a few days ago.
Mumbai began IPL 2008 with four defeats, but wins each of the next six games saw them improving several folds. However, failure to make it to the semifinal in the first season as well as the next saw Mumbai Indians turning into a determined unit, which was witnessed in the 2010 edition.
Recording their best start yet — seven wins in first 10 matches — Mumbai Indians made it all the way through to the final, but lost to the might of Chennai Super Kings in IPL 3. Over the next two seasons, Mumbai brushed their shoulders with the tournament’s best teams — RCB and CSK — making it to the playoffs. But defeats in the knockout round left MI with the zeal to lay their hands on the trophy.
With six wins in first 10 matches, victories had come in cluster for Mumbai but tougher challenges awaited them at the business end of the tournament. Mumbai clinched a four-wicket win with one ball to spare against Rajasthan in the second qualifier, and pipped old nemesis CSK by 23 runs in the final. However, the defeat had a bittersweet end as Sachin Tendulkar announced this was his last IPL.
The march continued, and it was in IPL 2014 when Mumbai truly set their mark as a side which could stage remarkable comebacks. In a crunch game against Rajasthan Royals (RR), Mumbai needed 190 to win in 14.3 overs to make it to the playoff.
Corey Anderson’s 95* powered Mumbai to an unprecedented win, but defeat to CSK in the Eliminator ended their stay in the tournament.
Among their three title wins, the one in 2015 looked the most improbable one when Mumbai began with five defeats.