Mumbai Indians (MI) have had a forgettable campaign in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) and unless they win their last game of the season by a massive margin, they will finish last on the table for the first time in history since the league’s inception in 2008.
So far, they have won just 3 games in 13 in the 2022 IPL and have six points on the board. In the ongoing season, no team has used more players than them. A total of 22 players have featured in MI’s playing XI in IPL 2022 as their on-field struggles have forced them to try new options and experiment with their combinations.
Ahead of MI’s final game of the season vs DC, Arjun Tendulkar’s name has been trending on Twitter. Fans of the five-time champions are calling for his inclusion in the playing XI in MI’s last game of the season vs Delhi Capitals (DC). Despite MI using so many players, Arjun is yet to get a game so far. Some also made hilarious memes on what his selection could mean for the playoff race.
A few weeks ago, MI’s head coach Mahela Jayawardene had opened up on Arjun’s chances of getting a game and claimed it depend on the combinations they wanted to use. “Well, I think everyone in the squad is an option. We will see how things go. It is about match-ups and how we can win the matches and our priority is to make sure that we get the right match-ups
“Every game is a confidence thing, we managed to get our first win and it is about stringing wins together and getting the confidence back. It is about putting the best guys in the park. If Arjun is one of them, then we will consider it, yes, but it all depends on the combination that we put out,” said Jayawardene in a pre-match press conference.
Arjun was purchased by MI ahead at the 2021 auction for Rs. 20 lakhs but released after not playing a single game. The franchise once again purchased him for Rs. 30 lakhs in the 2022 mega auction.
While apart from a long-shot attempt to avoid a 10th place finish, it is a dead-rubber for MI, DC need to win a game to qualify for the playoffs. If MI manage to beat the Rishabh-led side, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will qualify for the playoffs.
