IPL 2022: 3 takeaways from MI's win against DC
The Mumbai Indians (MI) ended a dreadful IPL 2022 by giving their fans something to cheer for on Saturday.
Although the five-time champions ended the league phase at rock bottom, they eliminated the Delhi Capitals (DC) from the race to the playoffs and handed Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) a lifeline.
There were a lot of positives for MI towards the back end of their campaign, something they would like to build on for the next season. However, there was also one grave concern that was an important reason for their downfall this year.
On that note, let's take a look at three takeaways from Mumbai's win over DC in their final league game:
#1 Rohit Sharma's woeful form
"I know cricket doesn't end here, a lot of cricket Ahead. So I need to take care of the mental aspect and think about how I can return to form and perform. It's only a mirror adjustment and I will try to work on that whenever there is some time off." - Rohit Sharma (on his form)
Rohit Sharma has never quite achieved his full potential in the IPL, which is what one might argue. The 35-year-old is undoubtedly the most successful captain the league has seen, winning five titles with Mumbai.
Although he has always played a rather supporting role with the bat, this time he didn't have the likes of Quinton de Kock at the top of the order. Ishan Kishan began the season well but tapered off as the league progressed.
So it was really important that Rohit made the most of the opening position by amassing a sensational season with the bat. However, it turned out to be his worst in terms of runs scored (268 runs).
His innings of 2(13) against DC summed up the season he was having. Rohit was unable to put bat on ball against Khaleel Ahmed's left-arm swing. He then chipped a half-volley straight into the hands of mid-on.
Hopefully for Mumbai, their captain will find form when he plays for India and will come back stronger next season.
#2 Tilak, Brevis, Tim David come of age
Tim David ,Tilak Varma ,Dewald Brevis 💙
We can surely say that Our Future is in safe hands
@mipaltan https://t.co/ubAtLTDkkF
Mumbai's chase against Delhi showed exactly how they have developed youngsters like Tilak Varma, Dewald Brevis and arguably their X-factor in Tim David.
The trio played crucial cameos in taking their IPL team to the total and have probably made a strong case for the future of this batting line-up.
Varma had a huge responsibility on his shoulders as Suryakumar Yadav missed quite a few games due to injury. However, the young southpaw came out with flying colors under pressure.
The 19-year-old scored a staggering 397 runs in his debut season and is one of the front-runners for the Emerging Player of the Tournament award.
The maturity with which he batted, especially in Mumbai's win over Chennai, showed that he had the temperament for the biggest stage.
Dewald Brevis made headlines after he smashed four sixes off Rahul Chahar's over. Although the 19-year-old hasn't scored a half-century, Brevis has played quite a few impactful cameos.
His temperament can be questioned, but the teenager will definitely get better with time and looks like a potential world-class player.
Quite a few eyebrows were raised when Tim David was dropped after just a couple of games. However, when the 26-year-old finally got a longer rope, he showed exactly why he is one of the most dangerous T20 batters at the moment.
His monstrous sixes have played a huge role in all of Mumbai's wins this season and he could well be the rightful heir to the throne of MI legend Kieron Pollard.
Click here to view the purple cap in IPL 2022.
#3 MI spearhead Jasprit Bumrah finds his mojo
Mitchell Marsh
☝️ Mitchell Marsh
☝️ Prithvi Shaw
☝️ Rovman Powell
What a fantastic spell by Jasprit Bumrah! 🔥
📸: IPL
#MumbaiIndians #YehHaiNayiDilli #IPL2022 #MIvDC https://t.co/rD6GAOCVLX
Jasprit Bumrah had an underwhelming first half of the season. Before their return fixture against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Bumrah had just five wickets under his belt.
However, the 28-year-old's Man of the Match performance against KKR and also in the last game against Delhi showed that he had found a way to bounce back.
Bumrah wasn't bowling badly; he was just getting played out by the opposition batters as they knew they could attack the other bowlers in the Mumbai lineup. However, he got the support of Daniel Sams towards the end of the tournament.
The 28-year-old also made great use of the short ball with his searing pace. His 3/25 set up the game for Mumbai and ensured they ended their season on a high.