Mumbai Indians’ Worst Season Ever, The Mumbai Indians (MI), the most successful franchise in IPL history with 5 titles, suffered their most humiliating season ever in IPL 2024. For the first time in 16 years, they finished last in the points table, winning just 4 out of 14 matches. The season was marred by captaincy controversies, fan revolts, and strategic blunders that left experts baffled.
Mumbai Indians’ Worst Season Ever, In this 1,500+ word in-depth investigation, we analyze:
✔ 5 critical reasons behind MI’s disastrous season
✔ How the Hardik-Rohit captaincy switch backfired
✔ Statistical proof of their worst-ever performance
✔ Fan reactions and social media outrage
✔ What MI must do to recover in 2025?
🔹 MI’s IPL 2024 Performance: By The Numbers
Historical Comparison (Last 3 Seasons)
| Season | Position | Wins | Losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 10th | 4 | 10 | 28.5% |
| 2023 | 4th (Playoffs) | 8 | 6 | 57.1% |
| 2024 | 10th | 4 | 10 | 28.5% |
Key Lowlights:
❌ Lowest-ever points tally (8 points)
❌ Worst bowling attack (Economy 10.2)
❌ First team eliminated (With 5 games remaining)
📌 Also Read: Full IPL 2024 Team Rankings Analysis
🔹 5 Reasons Why MI Had Their Worst Season Ever
1. The Hardik Pandya Captaincy Disaster
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Fan backlash: Booed at every stadium, including Wankhede
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Tactical failures: Bizarre bowling changes (e.g., Tim David bowling 19th over)
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Dressing room rift: Reports of divide between Rohit & Hardik factions
*”Removing a 5-time winning captain was always risky”* – Harsha Bhogle
2. Bowling Collapse (Worst in IPL 2024)
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Death overs economy: 12.3 (Highest ever for MI)
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No Bumrah support: Other bowlers combined for just 32 wickets
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Injury crisis: Jason Behrendorff ruled out early
📌 Tactical Breakdown: MI’s Bowling Weaknesses Exposed
3. Over-Reliance on Individual Stars
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Suryakumar Yadav – Missed first 3 games, inconsistent after return
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Rohit Sharma – Scored just 320 runs (Avg. 24)
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Bumrah alone took 35% of team’s wickets
4. Auction Strategy Failures
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No quality spinner: Played 8 different bowlers, none took 10+ wickets
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Weak middle-order: Tilak Varma was 3rd highest scorer (280 runs)
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Overpaid for Hardik: ₹15 crore trade left little purse balance
5. Toxic Fan Atmosphere
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#NotMyCaptain trended for 2 weeks
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Wankhede attendance dropped 40%
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Rohit fans vs Hardik fans fights on social media
🔹 How Other Teams Capitalized on MI’s Weaknesses?
Opposition Strategies That Worked:
✅ Target Hardik’s bowling (Economy 11.4)
✅ Attack non-Bumrah bowlers (Others conceded 9.8 rpo)
✅ Use spinners against MI’s left-hand heavy lineup
Most Damaging Losses:
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vs CSK: Lost by 8 wickets after scoring 205
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vs RCB: Collapsed from 72/0 to 120 all out
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vs GT: Hardik out for duck against former team
🔹 Social Media Storm: Fans’ Anger Explained
Top Viral Reactions:
🔥 “MI destroyed legacy for one player” – 50K+ likes
🔥 “Wankhede chanting Rohit’s name while Hardik bowled” – Viral video
🔥 “Worst management decisions in IPL history” – Fan petitions
Memes That Defined the Season:
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“MI 2024 vs MI 2020” (Dominance vs Disaster comparison)
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“Hardik searching for wins” (Finding Nemo edit)
🔹 Expert Opinions: What Went Wrong?
Supporting Management Decision
“Long-term vision required. Hardik will come good” – Kumar Sangakkara
Criticizing the Move
“You don’t fix what isn’t broken. Rohit was still the best leader” – Kevin Pietersen
Neutral Analysis
“The transition was needed but execution was terrible” – Tom Moody
📌 Also Read: Captaincy Changes That Backfired
🔹 Road to Redemption: What MI Must Do for 2025?
Immediate Actions Required:
✅ Retain Rohit Sharma (Let him retire as MI legend)
✅ Sign 2 quality spinners (Target Adil Rashid, Noor Ahmad)
✅ Release underperforming overseas players (Brevis, David)
Long-Term Solutions:
🔹 Rebuild fan trust (Open letter, fan meets)
🔹 Hire specialist bowling coach (Wasim Akram linked)
🔹 Data analytics overhaul (Poor auction decisions)
🔹 Final Verdict: Can MI Bounce Back?
Reasons for Hope:
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Strong core (Bumrah, SKY, Rohit still world-class)
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History of comebacks (Won title after 2018 rebuild)
Potential Downfall Risks:
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Hardik’s leadership doubts
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Aging star players
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Fan alienation lasting impact
Will MI recover or sink further? Comment your predictions!
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