The defending champions of the IPL and only three-time winners of the tournament Mumbai Indians (MI) were looking for a comfortable defense of their title. With most of their core retained, MI was looking forward to their campaign.

However, they started on an inauspicious note, as CSK defeated them by 1 wicket in the last over of the first match of IPL 11 and a pattern was formed, as MI kept losing matches in last over, either defending or chasing totals. They won just 2 matches out of their first 8 matches, and though they mounted a big comeback by winning 4 out of their last six matches, they lost their last must-win match against DD and crashed out of the tournament.

One of the biggest reasons was nonperformance of two of their core players in Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard. The ever unsolved puzzle of why Rohit doesn’t open for MI in IPL went unanswered this year too, as he fought for form.

MI fans might have hoped for a late revival, something that they got, but this time, they failed to take it all the way and fell at the last hurdle.

Team COC looks at the performance of the MI players and presents the player ratings for IPL 2018

SURYAKUMAR YADAV- 9/10

Suryakumar Yadav scored 512 runs in 14 matches with a best of 72 and strike rate of 133.33. He was made to open, as Ishan Kishan experiment as an opener didn’t work and Suryakumar took to opening like fish takes to water. He was consistently churning out runs at the top and complimented his opening partner Evin Lewis.

JP DUMINY- 2/10

South African JP Duminy got to play just 6 games in the tournament and scored 36 runs. He must have craved for more games, but the team management kept their faith in a misfiring Kieron Pollard.

EVIN LEWIS- 7/10

Evin Lewis, the newest Caribbean recruit in IPL had a decent tournament with 382 runs in 13 matches with a best of 65 and a strike rate of 138.40. However, his performance was like a coin toss, as it was either a big score and a great start, or a duck; nothing in between.

HARDIK PANDYA- 9/10

Hardik Pandya was a revelation, but with the ball in this tournament for MI. He picked 18 wickets in this tournament with a best of 3/24 with an economy of 8.92. However, with the bat, Hardik was lukewarm with 260 runs in 14 matches with a best of 50.

BEN CUTTING- 5/10

Ben Cutting scored 96 runs in 9 matches and picked up 2 wickets. He was their last hope in the must-win match against DD, but his wicket at the most inopportune moment meant the end of MI’s journey in the tournament.

ROHIT SHARMA- 3/10

Rohit Sharma had an awful IPL 2018 both as a batsman and as a captain. Losing some very close encounters at the start proved to be crucial in their exit before the playoffs, questioning the strategy of Rohit Sharma in crunch situations.

As a batsman, he scored just 286 runs, failing to cross 300 run mark for the first time in the 11 seasons of the tournament. He had just one good innings of 94 against RCB, but his decision of not opening for his team still remains a hot topic. 

ISHAN KISHAN- 4/10

Ishan Kishan was supposed to be that player for MI what Rishabh Pant has been to DD. Kishan scored 275 runs in 14 matches with a best of 62 and a strike rate of 149.45. However, he lacked the consistency to score big runs which hampered a fragile middle order of MI.

KRUNAL PANDYA- 8/10

Krunal Pandya showed why he is ready to become an important part of the Indian team with the 2019 World Cup in sight. Pandya scored 228 runs in 14 matches with a best of 41* and picked 12 wickets with a best of 3/28 at an economy of 7.07. Krunal excelled with both ball and bat at important moments for his team in the tournament and staked his claim for the India berth.

KIERON POLLARD- 4/10

Kieron Pollard played 9 matches and scored 133 runs with a best of 50. His failure to score quick and crucial runs at the lower middle order. Pollard would like to believe that the franchise owners have faith in his abilities to retain him for next season.

MAYANK MARKANDE- 7/10

Leg-spinner Mayank Markande was the surprise package this season with 15 wickets in 14 matches with a best of 4/23 and even owned the Purple cap for while. The 20-year-old leggie’s wicket-taking tapered towards the second half of the IPL 11, but he has done enough to make him the most wanted player in next year’s auction.

JASPRIT BUMRAH- 8/10

Jasprit Bumrah once again proved why he is the best limited overs bowler in the nation right now. Bumrah picked up 17 wickets in 14 matches and even picked his best of the season 3/15 against KXIP to keep MI in the race for the playoffs.

MITCHELL MCCLENAGHAN- 7/10

Mitchell McClenaghan picked 14 wickets in 11 matches with an economy of 8.30 and a best of 2/22. He was effective without being flamboyant and it worked in his favor that he took wickets at important times for the team.

MUSTAFIZUR RAHMAN- 3/10

Mustafizur Rahman picked 7 wickets in 7 matches with a best of 3/24. However, his ineffectiveness in the death overs made many wonders that is he the same bowler who bowled those brilliant yorkers in previous seasons of IPL and won the "Emerging Player of the Tournament” award in IPL 2016.

PRADEEP SANGWAN- 0.5/10

Pradeep Sangwan played just one match, bowling two overs and giving away 19 runs.

AKILA DANANJAYA- 0.5/10

Akila Dananjaya played just one game, bowling four overs and giving away 47 runs.