#TATAIPL2024 : Blunt Reality Check For Several Franchises For Season’s Ahead

The Tata IPL 2024 is now at the business end of the tournament . It will have new champion on May 26 as defending Champions Chennai Super Kings could not make it to play – offs stage of the mega event.

After 70 engrossing matches and unbelievable big totals with over 200 plus made with such ease – four team’s now battle for the coveted trophy . In Qualifier 1 – Kolkata Knight Riders take on Sunrisers Hyderabad and in the eliminator it will see Rajasthan Royals taking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The winner of Qualifier 1 goes directly to the final. While the team which loses gets second chance as they winner of the eliminator.

MUMBAI INDIANS

The biggest Talking point of Tata IPL 2024  was the  performance of  Mumbai Indians . The five- time champions  had a horror tournament and finished last . The  fans were dejected with the the show . In-fact the ardent fans of MI were aghast when at the beginning of the event the team management decided to replace  the player who captained them to titles five  times – Rohit Sharma , the current national team captain with all- rounder Hardik Pandya.

Pandya had led the Gujarat Titans to victory in their first year in Tata IPL  2022 and finished  runner-up to CSK last year.  His move to MI as captain shocked many. And fans did not like the change one bit . Hardik was booed all over  wherever he played . And hit the performance  . The result is all there to see.  Rohit Sharma  himself struggled with his form, a worry ahead of the T20 2024 World Cup where he is leading India .  Fans would be hoping that Rohit finds his midas touch in the mega event.

Hardik  ironically named as Rohit’s deputy for the T20 World  Cup 2024 in US and West Indies    himself has had rather ordinary tournament. The big swashbuckling innings he is know for never came. With  the  ball too he bagged  very few wickets but gave away runs too. He did not look threatening.

Whether  Rohit Sharma moves on from MI in 20225 remains to be seen. Hardik Pandya’s stint as skipper has certainly begun on disastrous note. The team Management and franchise owners will have to take a tough call for the next season to avoid a humiliation like this one.

PUNJAB KINGS

Punjab Kings  once again had a nightmarish tournament , the Bollywood actress Preity Zinta co- owned franchise  will really need to do their homework in the auction next year in 2025 and to find a balanced combination. The team was once again found wanting .  They lost some very close one’s and  could not  maintain the consistency .  Leadership has to change surely – Shikhar Dhawan  like last time too after couple of matches sat out with injury never to return. Dhawan as Skipper has to go.  Captaincy was thrust on  English all- rounder Sam Curran, who  has little captaincy experience.  But did his best till he was there.

The team could not take advantage of home conditions like new venue, Mullunpur, Mohali winning 1 out  of 7 matches and away 4 out of seven.  It are  these  things that need to be addressed said the team’s director of cricket Sanjay Bangar while looking back the team’s showing the event where they finished 9th. Jonny Bairstow barring one blazing ton was not consistent at the top. Liam Livingstone did not live up to his reputation . Kagiso Rabada did not get early wickets.  Only highs were Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma ,  Prabhsimran Singh, Harpreet Brar . Arshdeep Singh bowled well in patches. Rahul  Chahar only one or two maches bowled well.  Kings did not have consistency.

LUCKNOW SUPER GIANTS

Lucknow Super Giants  too had forgettable campaign . Skipper K L Rahul   was not at his aggressive best while opening the innings. Quinton de Kock  was shadow of his former self.  Quinton de Kock struggled up front. LSG must thank Aussie Marcus Stoinis and West Indian Nicholas Pooran who played some stunning knocks to give them some memorable  wins. Krunal Pandya cameo’s were missing. Ayush Badoni  showed his talent in one or two outings. Deepak Hooda was not  consistent. And making the campaign  end on a controversial note was the on camera  heated argument between team owner Sanjeev Goenka and Skipper K L Rahul after SRH hammered them by 10 wickets an encounter  in just 9. 4 overs. The big find  for LSG was speedster Mayank Yadav

GUJARAT TITANS

Gujarat Titans, had to go  for change in captaincy after Hardik Pandya moved to MI dramatically . And the management picked Shubman Gill  to lead . For someone with no captaincy experience it was bizarre move . That too when the side had  kiwi Kane Williamson , an established successful , New Zealand  national team Skipper, who will lead them in the T20World Cup 2024. When Williamson is around why Gill ? makes no sense at all.  Gill himself struggled  and pressures of captaincy took it’s toll , Sai Sudharsan played some top notch innings . Rashid Khan  was not his usual  self post comeback after injury.

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS

Defending Champions Chennai Super Kings dramatically saw  icon Mahendra Singh Dhoni stepping down as Skipper just before the event and Ruturaj Gaikwad took over.  The transition unlike MI was smooth one . The team should consider itself unlucky to miss play-offs as they lost some close matches . Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube along with  Skipper Gaikwad showed their talent . So did Ravindra Jadeja .

Iconic Mahendra Singh Dhoni was  followed wherever he played with hordes of fans coming to stadiums to just a glance of him. He did not disappoint playing some really short cameos towards the very end and surprised  all by not batting higher up. Coming in as  low as number 9.  injury  to Deepak Chahar known to take wickets in power play and absence of Mustafizur Rahman ( national duty for Bangladesh) saw them lose key players and it hurt them badly. The side has the balance. Only question next year 2025  is will MSD return ? it is million dollar question .

As Tata IPL  2024 heads towards a fantastic finish those team’s who did not make it to play- offs will have time to re- think their strategy for 2025. How to bounce back. It will be fascinating to follow them  how they mull things ahead.