'If eyes are turning towards foreigners, you've got problems' - Mark Butcher attributes MI's lackluster IPL performance to misfiring Indian contingent

Former England cricketer Mark Butcher feels that the major reason behind Mumbai Indians’ lackluster performance in the ongoing 2021 IPL has been the lack of contribution from the Indian players in the team.

Mumbai Indians, who are currently languishing at the second-last spot in the tally with seven losses and five wins in their 12 finished encounters, will play Rajasthan Royals on October 5 in a virtual shootout. However, their bumpy 2021 ride means that not even two victories can ensure the five-time champions a spot in the playoffs, as they would need a few other results to fall their way and Butcher feels that Mumbai has left things for “very late this time”.

“They have let it very late this time. You look at the squad they have at their disposal, it is very difficult to work out how they should manage to find themselves in this position. They haven’t been able to get any run of form going and it’s costing them dearly,” Butcher said on Cricket.com’s Man vs Machine.

“They have pulled rabbits out of the hats before. It’s in the feature of their success in the IPL. Their fans would be confident that they can beat these two teams – Rajasthan Royals – they took them down in April. They would also think Sunrisers are there for the taking as well. It’s simply a case of concentrating on the job in your hands. No point worrying about ifs and buts. Win this one and the next one. Get two points on the board and then worry about the net run-rate,” he added.

Contribution from Indian players more important to win the IPL: Mark Butcher

Butcher further stated that MI’s dismal show cannot be attributed to their foreign player but the misfiring Indian contingent.

“If all your eyes are turning towards Quinton de Kock at the top and if all eyes are turning towards Trent Boult as a wicket-taker in the powerplay, then you’ve got a problem. Mumbai Indians’ success has been built around the fact that they haven’t looked to overseas players to win them the tournament. They have great overseas players, but the Indian players have come to the party and done the job,” Butcher stated.

“Rohit Sharma hasn’t made the runs you’d expect him to make. Yes, he’s a brilliant captain. Yes, he’ll probably become India’s T20I captain in the near future. But they need runs from him. Ishan Kishan has found himself out of the team, such has been his form. Contribution from Indian players is just as important, in fact more important when it comes to winning IPL and qualifying than anything else,” he added.