When Mumbai Indians bounced back after losing first three matches of a season

Hardik Pandya was booed again as Mumbai Indian succumbed to their third straight loss in IPL 2024 on Monday. MI are the only side yet to win a game in IPL 2024 and their form has clearly been impacted by the franchise’s decision to hand over the captaincy to Hardik Pandya. Fans have made their intentions clear by jeering against their own team and captain in the three matches so far and it was no different as Pandya was booed at the toss in the game against Rajasthan Royals before losing the match by six wickets .

By all standards losing three matches is a disastrous start in the most competetive T20 league in the world but Mumbai have been here before. If there’s one team that can pull off a mind-blowing streak from hereon to qualify for the playoffs or win the title, it’s Mumbai Indians because they have done so more often than once in past.

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Here are the instances when MI bounce back after losing their first three or more number of matches in an IPL season.

IPL 2014

MI won their first IPL title in 2013 but in the very next season they had a horrendous start, losing their first five matches to Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challenges Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Despite losing first five matches, MI bounced back to finish fourth on points table and reach the playoffs, becoming the first side to do so. Their IPL 2014 journey, however, ended in semi-final with a defeat to CSK.

IPL 2015

Mumbai Indians had another poor start, losing first four games but created history once more by managing to win the title. Despite defeat in first four matches to KKR, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), CSK and Rajasthan Royals. MI finished second in the points table and thrashed MS Dhoni’s Chennai in the final to win their second title.

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Interestingly, it was the debut season for Hardik in which he scored 112 runs with a mind-boggling strike rate of 180.64 and also took one wicket.

IPL 2018

In 2018, Mumbai Indians once again found themselves in a precarious position after losing their first three matches to CSK, SRH and DC. MI would eventually win six matches to collect 12 points but narrowly missed out on the playoffs, finishing fifth in the points table.