Aakash Chopra taken aback by MI strategy, declares IPL 2022 an 8-team league

Mumbai Indians, the five-time IPL champions, were defeated for the fourth game in a row on Saturday when Royal Challengers Bangalore cruised to a seven-wicket victory at the MCA Stadium in Pune.

Mumbai’s batting collapsed from 79-6 to 151-6 when Suryakumar Yadav saved the day. The total, however, scarcely challenged the opposition, as Bangalore reached their target with nine balls to spare, thanks to Anuj Rawat’s maiden IPL fifty and Virat Kohli’s 48.

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Mumbai is sinking in the points standings after a terrible start that included four defeats in four games. They have yet to make an impression, and cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra criticised their team selection against Bangalore. Mumbai used only two foreign players, with Jaydev Unadkat replacing Tymal Mills and Ramandeep Singh replacing Daniel Sams.

“Mumbai has already made it an eight-team tournament. What is Mumbai doing? They decided to go with just two overseas players. I mean why, how? Tim David, Fabien Allen, Riley Meredith, Tymal Mills – all of them are sitting out. You have Jaydev Unadkat and Ramandeep – you played them but is that going to work?” Chopra stated on his YouTube channel.

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“You have such a long batting that you have just four bowlers left – Jaydev Unadkat, Basil Thampi, Jasprit Bumrah, and Murugan Ashwin and these are your four. It means the fifth bowler will be either Kieron Pollard or Dewald Brevis. Good luck Mumbai,” he further added.

Mumbai got off to a solid start with a 50-run opening stand between Rohit and Ishan Kishan, but the squad lost wickets quickly and fell to 79 for six. Suryakumar, who smashed five fours and six sixes in his 37-ball knock, fought till the end, raising his 50.

Chopra lauded the batter, who has already scored two fifties in two games. He struck 52 off 36 balls in the last game against Kolkata Knight Riders, rescuing Mumbai from 58 for three in 12 overs after returning from a finger injury.

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“When you play such few bowlers and make a below-par score, there is no way you can win the game. The batting was extremely ordinary although Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma were batting well. But when the wickets started to fall, it was like a cycle stand,” he continued.

“It was good that Suryakumar Yadav was there else this team would have folded up for 125. You have got Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Dewald Brevis, Tilak Varma, and Kieron Pollard – they were all done and dusted. When Ramandeep got out, I said it’s over,” Chopra elaborated.

He concluded by saying, “Suryakumar Yadav fought there till the end. He has played two consecutive good knocks, and took the team to a fighting total but not happening. What will one man alone do? That’s what we are understanding from this game.”

Both Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians are starting at early exits after suffering four defeats at the start. Chennai has dropped to the bottom of the 10-team IPL table with Mumbai just above on ninth.