Ambati Rayudu a former cricketer from Mumbai Indians (MI) believes the fivetime IPL champions lacked unity during the IPL 2024 season contributing significantly to their poor results. Currently MI sits at ninth place in the points table having secured only four wins out of 13 games.
Ambati Rayudu secured three championships with the Mumbai Indians and stressed that throughout his tenure the core value in the teams inner circle consistently centered on prioritizing the team above individual aspirations. Although avoiding specific callouts the former cricketer implies that certain individuals within the current MI roster prioritize personal agendas over collective success.
In an interview with Star Sports Press Room, Ambati Rayudu said the following regarding MI:
“I feel Mumbai has always been a setup where the team has always come first. The individuals were part of a team and the owners, players and even Sachin Paaji used to feel that we are all part of one Mumbai Indians team. But right now I feel there are too many individual powerhouses in the side and not just one sort of direction to take.”
Ambati Rayudu
Rayudu remarked that the Mumbai players’ ambition to play for the badge was weak in IPL 2024.
Ambati Rayudu on outside noise affecting MI
The changeover of leadership from Rohit Sharma to Hardik Pandya has been anything from easy, with supporters closely scrutinizing the MI management’s selection. Ambati Rayudu believed that the additional rumors in the public regarding separate camps in the dressing room had made things more difficult for MI.
Ambati Rayudu claimed that Mumbai should let some players go if they do not line with their ambitions. Ambati Rayudu stated:
“This season right from the start we have seen everyone talk about everything else rather than Mumbai Indians as a team. If there is someone who is not willing to come on board, no matter how tough it is, you have to get rid of them and get players who want to play for the team. I am sure they would want to build a side where everyone wants to play for Mumbai Indians than their own self.”
Ambati Rayudu
MI just has one game left in their season, against the Lucknow Super Giants on May 17. They can play spoiler, since if they beat Lucknow, the latter will most likely be eliminated from the playoffs because to their poor net run rate.