After finishing the IPL 2024 season at the bottom of the points table, Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mark Boucher reflected on the challenges the team faced over the last two months. Following their loss to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Mumbai’s season ended abruptly, marking a disappointing finish. Boucher addressed the future of former skipper Rohit Sharma with MI, stating that the opener controls his own destiny.

“I asked him what’s next? and Rohit said ‘the World Cup'”

In MI’s last match of the season, Rohit demonstrated the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket. He had a bright start to the season but faced a slump mid-way. Boucher noted that it was a season of two halves for Rohit, who started strong but struggled later on. Despite these struggles, Rohit showed signs of his potential, evidenced by his impressive 68 off 38 balls against LSG. “For me, he is a master of his own destiny. It’s a big auction next season who knows what’s going to happen?” Boucher said in a post-match press conference.

“I had a discussion with Rohit Sharma last night. We reviewed the season this year. After that, I asked him what’s next? and Rohit said ‘the World Cup'”, he added.

However, his overall performance this season was inconsistent, with several single-digit scores after his century against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). This left MI fans with mixed emotions, as they saw glimpses of Rohit’s brilliance but also witnessed their team’s tenth loss of the year, landing them at the bottom of the table.

“It’s almost a season of two halves for him. He started the season well and hit the ball sweetly in the nets. He got a superb 100 against CSK as well. So we honestly thought he was on a great path for us to go out there and get some good runs,” Boucher said.

“Unfortunately, it’s just the nature of T20 as well. He went out there trying to be aggressive, the new way of playing as an opening batter. He got a few low scores, which unfortunately didn’t help us in that particular situation either. But tonight, he finished off with a fantastic knock as well. So yeah, it is a season of two halves for him,” he added.

Mark Boucher reflects on Mumbai Indians’ challenges and future prospects

In the match against LSG, MI’s decision to bowl first backfired. LSG’s KL Rahul scored 55 off 41 balls, while Nicholas Pooran smashed 75 off 29 balls, helping LSG reach 214/6. Marcus Stoinis and Ayush Badoni also contributed with crucial runs. During the chase, MI started well, with Rohit and Dewald Brevis forming a strong partnership. However, rain interrupted the game, halting their momentum temporarily. Despite Rohit’s 68 and Brevis’s 23, MI fell short.

See Also: Lucknow Super Giants beat Mumbai Indians by 18 runs

Naman Dhir’s unbeaten 62 off 28 balls gave MI some hope in the later stages, but it wasn’t enough to secure a win, resulting in an 18-run defeat. This loss capped off a challenging season for MI, leaving fans and players alike to ponder what went wrong and how to improve for the future.