Mumbai Indians (MI), led by Rohit Sharma, are one of the most successful teams in Indian Premier League (IPL) history. Along with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), led by MS Dhoni, they have each won the IPL five times. The beginning years of the IPL, starting in 2008, were tough for MI. They made it to the final in 2010, but didn’t really shine in other instances.
Things took a turn for Mumbai Indians in 2013. That was the year they clinched their first IPL trophy under Rohit. They also bagged the championship in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. They were the top team in the IPL until CSK matched them by scoring their fifth win in the 2023 season.
The Mumbai Indians, unfortunately, hit a rough patch recently. They got knocked out in the early 2021 and 2022 league stages. They got a playoff spot this year but didn’t clinch the trophy. Despite the recent outcomes, we can’t overlook MI’s potency.
Yes, the Mumbai Indians are famous for their on-field IPL prowess. But they’ve also had their share of disputes. Let’s review three instances here.
1. Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth’s infamous slapgate incident
There’s no doubt that the most significant scandal in the history of the Mumbai Indians in the IPL happened back in 2008. During the first T20 league, Harbhajan Singh, a player for Mumbai Indians, physically confronted Kings XI Punjab (now known as Punjab Kings) pitcher S Sreesanth. This resulted in Singh being disqualified from the remaining IPL season.
After the tense match between Mumbai and Punjab, it appears that Singh and Sreesanth engaged in a disagreement. This disagreement eventually led to Singh striking Sreesanth. Soon after this, images of an upset Sreesanth began to circulate online.
In recent years, both former India cricketers have put the past behind them and reunited amicably. They have also spoken publicly about the situation. Sreesanth stated on the Sports Yaari show on YouTube earlier this year regarding the controversy:
“We have always been friends. That was just a misunderstanding and the media made a big noise out of it. I will just say that Bhajji pa has supported me from the beginning in every way, including recently with commentary tips.”
S Sreesanth
Previously, in 2022, Harbhajan apologized and said that what he done was wrong, saying that he was mortified by his actions.
2. Lasith Malinga’s no ball controversy
During the IPL 2019 match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru, a significant issue erupted. In a tight game, RCB lost by six runs against Mumbai Indians.
On the final ball of the match, Shivam Dube was caught at long-on off Lasith Malinga’s bowling. Replays revealed that the Mumbai Indians pacer had overstepped, but umpire S Ravi failed to see.
If the no-ball call had been made, one more run would have been added to the total, and RCB would have received a free hit as well. After the game, Bangalore captain Virat Kohli was furious.
“We are playing at the IPL level and not playing club cricket. The umpires should have had their eyes open. That is a ridiculous call in the last ball. If it is a game of margins, I don’t know what is happening. They should have been more sharp and careful out there,” he said at the post-match press conference.
Virat Kohli
Backing Kohli’s sentiment, MI team leader Rohit said, “Such incidents are not favorable for cricket”.
3. Rohit Sharma’s contentious dismissal during IPL 2023
Rohit was in the heart of a contentious dismissal during the IPL 2023 season. In a league encounter against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, RR bowler Sandeep Sharma threw a knuckle ball that caught the Mumbai Indians captain off guard. He missed the variation and was out as the zing bails lit up.
However, several replays of the dismissal appeared to show that RR goalie and captain Sanju Samson’s gloves moved the bails rather than the ball. The story quickly went viral on social media, with many Mumbai Indians supporters arguing that Rohit was incorrectly assigned.
However, the IPL’s social media accounts later posted a film of Rohit’s demise in which it is evident that the ball, not Samson’s gloves, dislodged the bail.