NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya couldn't hide his disappointment and pressure after the team suffered their fourth loss in six matches. The dejection was evident on his face as he struggled to control his emotions.
The five-time champions had a rough start to the tournament, losing their first three matches consecutively against Gujarat Titans (by 6 runs), Sunrisers Hyderabad (by 31 runs), and Rajasthan Royals (by 6 wickets).
However, they managed to get their campaign back on track with two wins against Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. But succumbed to another defeat against Chennai Super Kings by 20 runs.
After the defeat, Pandya, during the post-match presentation, had said: "There's a man (Dhoni) behind the stumps who tells them what's working."
This comment seemed to suggest that Mumbai Indians lack the same level of guidance and support that CSK enjoys under Dhoni's leadership.
Former Australia wicket-keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist, analysing Pandya's post-match comments, concluded that not everything is running smoothly within the Mumbai Indians camp.
1/10:CSK beat MI despite Rohit Sharma's ton
AP
2/10:CSK beat MI
<p>Rohit Sharma hit an unbeaten 105 but his Mumbai Indians fell 20 runs short as they tried to chase down a big target set by holders Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. </p>AFP
3/10:Rohit Sharma
<p>Set 207 for victory, five-time winners Mumbai finished on 186/6 even though Rohit raised his ton in 61 balls at his home ground in Wankhede Stadium. </p>IANS
4/10:CSK
<p>Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and the in-form Shivam Dube powered Chennai, who won their fifth title last year, to 206/4. </p>AFP
5/10:MS Dhoni
<p>Gaikwad hit 69 and Dube smashed an unbeaten 66 before warhorse MS Dhoni smashed three successive sixes in the 20th over to take Chennai past 200. </p>AP
6/10:Vintage Dhoni
<p>Dhoni came in to bat with four balls left and scored 20 smashing Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya for three sixes and finished with a two to end a 26-run over. </p>AFP
7/10:Matheesha Pathirana
<p>Sri Lanka quick Matheesha Pathirana then took four wickets to push Mumbai to their fourth loss of the season. </p>PTI
8/10:CSK end on a high
<p>Gaikwad put on 90 runs with Dube before falling to Pandya, but Dube and then Dhoni's cameo ensured Chennai finished strongly. </p>AP
9/10:MI openers
<p>Mumbai started well with Rohit and Ishan Kishan putting on 70 runs for the first wicket before Pathirana hit back. </p>AFP
10/10:Pathirana on fire
<p>Pathirana sent back Kishan and then Suryakumar Yadav, for his second duck this season, in the space of three balls. </p>AFP"That line about Dhoni is interesting. It tells that maybe he is feeling a bit of a lone wolf at the moment. Maybe it is all having a bit of an effect because he is having the feeling that he has not got support around him. But his observation of the opposition is that hang on, he (Gaikwad) has got the support there, an experienced one obviously. It tells me a bit about the mindset of Hardik at the moment and the uncertainty and hesitation in the MI dugout," Gilchrist said on Cricbuzz.
"High-profile teams are a victim of their own success. There are often trades that come out of the blue, and fans feel like, 'hand on, we are not invested in this'. They feel that they are part of this big picture and hence feel blindsided. The way this Hardik traded came out of nowhere and the transition from Rohit to Hardik...whether Rohit was happy or not or if he was considered or not. So that is where this feeling is coming," Gilchrist said.
Mumbai Indians will now take on Punjab Kings on Thursday.
