'For me, Hardik Pandya...': Brian Lara offers his verdict on MI skipper's overconfidence vs MS Dhoni

Mumbai Indians have come under fire from West Indies legend Brian Lara for lack of bowling depth post their hammering loss to Chennai Super Kings by 20 runs on Sunday.

Mumbai Indians conceded 206 runs in 20 overs as Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube and MS Dhoni wreaked havoc on the MI bowling attack. While Jasprit Bumrah has been the pick of the MI bowlers this season having picked 10 wickets in six games, MI have struggled to provide him support from the other hand.

South African pacer Gerald Coetzee, and Indian young pacer Akash Madhval along with Hardik Pandya have helped Jasprit Bumrah here and there, no one has quite been able to perform consistently to help Bumrah. 

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Lara Slams MI for lack of depth

According to Brian Lara the lack of bowling depth has been their Achilles heel as Mumbai Indians are languishing at the eight spot in points table. 

“Not much, I think when we look at Mumbai Indians, a lot of people have them as favourites, simply because they were batting so well, they scored 230 runs, they chased on 196, made it look very easy, 15 overs, so on that fact I think" said Lara said on Star Sports' Cricket Live Show about Mumbai Indians’ loss to Chennai Super Kings.

Additionally, Brian Lara lambasted that people consider MI as favourites because of their solid batting lineup but on the contrary they are still two or three match winning bowlers short of posing a genuine threat in this season’s IPL 2024. 

"The spinners, they only bowled 4 overs after around 7 runs an over, but they weren't trusted with Shivam Dube out there. So, MI will have to improve in that area, they've got to find a couple of bowlers, match-winning bowlers. we pick them as favourites. But their bowling is poor. Beyond Jasprit Bumrah, there is no one to actually support them in that bowling attack, and the CSK batters took them apart. MI did not use their spinners after the eighth over as Shivam Dube, who has been impressive against the slow bowlers, was at the crease. What it tells me more about this game is that, if you've got a good bowling unit, like CSK, you look at their bowling, every single bowler played a part in that game, every single bowler. We had dot balls at the time, we thought that Mumbai Indians were supposed to accelerate, they didn't." 

On Pandya being hit for three consecutive sixes in the last over, Lara said, "For me, Hardik Pandya had it tough, I think he turned himself in the last couple of over, the master (MS Dhoni) did, you know, three sixes in the last 4-5 balls."

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Given these factors it is not a surprise that Mumbai Indians struggled from the bowling front on a night where Jasprit Bumrah failed to pick up any wickets. 

Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya and the team management will need to find a way to improve their bowling quickly otherwise they run the risk of missing out on IPL playoffs in 2024.

(With PTI Inputs)