It hasn’t been able to make the most of the middle overs in most of its four games this Indian Premier League games. Nor has the Mumbai Indians picked wickets regularly so far in IPL 2022. No wonder then that the five-team champion outfit has ended up on the wrong side in its four matches so far.
Zaheer Khan, MI’s director or cricket, admitted it’s failure to win “close situations” that has resulted in MI losing four in four.
“You have got to be able to close those moments of the game where the momentum is shifting. We have, as a team, not been able to do that, so that is something we have to focus on,” Zaheer said after MI’s loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday.
“Focus on the positives, the things that have been working for us, keep building on that. It’s a long season, so we have to keep things tight and keep getting better.”
Despite a drastic change in personnel, Mumbai Indians can take some heart from its mediocre record early on in IPL. In 2014, it qualified for the Playoffs despite losing five on a trot. The next season, in 2015, MI bounced back after losing the first four games to emerge champion.
“There are still 11 (10) league matches to go. We have got to get on a roll. You have seen in this tournament how teams get on a losing roll or gain winning momentum. It’s just a matter of (getting the) first win,” Zaheer said.
“At times you get tight as well, you start doubting yourselves in situations where the pressure is highest. So that is something we have to be aware of and look for that spark in the group.”
