Hyderabad: The Sunrisers Hyderabad’s win against Lucknow Super Giants on Wednesday officially sealed the fate of the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL 2024. MI became the first team to be eliminated from the playoff race.

This disappointing performance has reportedly led to discontent within the team, particularly among senior players. According to a report in The Indian Express, players like Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Suryakumar Yadav have expressed concerns about Hardik Pandya’s captaincy style. These concerns reportedly stem from a perceived decline in team morale throughout the season.

The leadership change from the long-standing captain Rohit Sharma to Hardik Pandya is seen as a potential cause for the internal friction. A Mumbai Indians official acknowledged this transition as a factor in the team’s struggles, stating these are “teething problems” for a team with a new leader.

Further fueling the tension, an incident following MI’s loss to the Delhi Capitals has come to light. Pandya reportedly criticized young player Tilak Varma for not targeting Axar Patel more aggressively, placing blame on Varma despite his impressive 63-run knock. This incident reportedly did not go down well with other players.

Currently sitting at the ninth position in the points table, MI’s focus should now shift to preparing for the next season.