For a long time, the Mumbai Indians were known for their ability to thrive amidst chaos. Even if the season started slowly, they often found their rhythm in the second half and fought their way into the playoff race. However, in IPL 2026, that never happened.
Their hopes officially ended after a painful two-wicket loss to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur, but the warning signs were evident from the beginning. Injuries disrupted player combinations, key players struggled to find their form, and the bowling unit was surprisingly weak, allowing runs at a rate fans had seldom seen before.
The defeat to RCB mirrored their entire season. At one point, Mumbai had RCB at 39/3 after dismissing Virat Kohli for a duck. Corbin Bosch kept them in the contest with a four-wicket haul. Yet, as the game reached its climax, they lost their grip once more—a recurring theme throughout the season.
This season, MI’s bowling showed significant weaknesses. They conceded runs at an alarming average of 11.34 per over—the highest ever in IPL history. In the Powerplay, things were even worse, as they leaked runs at a rate of 11.72 per over, again the worst in the league. This lack of control put extra pressure on the batting lineup, forcing them to play catch-up.
What stood out was how disconnected the team seemed, despite having many experienced players. Although Rohit Sharma remained the emotional core, and Hardik Pandya captained the side, MI often looked unsettled both tactically and emotionally.
Head coach Mahela Jayawardene acknowledged their struggles after being eliminated from playoff contention. He admitted, “We were not good enough, not consistent enough with both bat and ball, and that made all the difference. We were just a couple of wins away from being in the playoff conversation, but we couldn’t secure those wins.”
What likely hurt Mumbai the most was how the IPL has evolved. Other teams like Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings embraced a bolder batting approach, while MI often seemed stuck, neither explosive nor disciplined enough.
### OVERRELIANCE ON JASPRIT BUMRAH
For nearly a decade, Jasprit Bumrah has been a safety net for the Mumbai Indians. Unfortunately, in IPL 2026, the team struggled with both Bumrah’s quieter performance and the fact that they depended heavily on him to deliver.
Bumrah ended the season with just three wickets in 10 matches, and he went wicketless in his first five games—something almost unimaginable for him. The problems didn’t stop there; the whole bowling lineup appeared to rely too much on his talent.
Hardik Pandya struggled with an economy rate of 12.7, while Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur were even worse, with rates of 13.4 and 13.6 respectively. Additionally, the spinners only took four wickets in the early matches and had the worst economy rate in the tournament at 11.83.
Anil Kumble highlighted the crux of their issue, stating that MI relied too heavily on Bumrah and that others needed to step up, particularly noting the lack of quality local spinners—a former strength of the team.
### HARDIK PANDYA’S CAPTAINCY
Hardik Pandya’s captaincy has come under scrutiny, given that MI has lost 22 out of 37 matches since he took over. Several tactical decisions this season backfired, and his frustration was visible at times.
However, solely blaming Hardik would overlook larger issues that plagued the team this season. Rohit Sharma missed several matches due to injury, Mitchell Santner was ruled out for the season, and even Hardik faced his own injury issues. They cycled through 20 different players during the campaign due to these challenges.
Jayawardene admitted many changes were forced rather than made strategically. The overall body language of the team contributed to their struggles, as former MI player Harbhajan Singh pointed out, noting that the confidence seemed to be missing.
### STRUGGLING STARS
One of the biggest disappointments was the lack of synergy among MI’s star players. At one point, none of their batters made it into the top 30 run-scorers, despite having a renowned lineup. Suryakumar Yadav, who had a stellar season last year, only managed 195 runs in 11 matches. Meanwhile, Hardik scored just 146 runs across eight innings.
Even within the Powerplay, they showed inconsistencies. They successfully chased down 221 runs against KKR early in the season but later collapsed to 29/3 against the Chennai Super Kings in another critical game.
Despite the struggles, Jayawardene defended the core group, emphasizing their commitment. However, IPL 2026 highlighted a reality for the Mumbai Indians—they no longer seem to be a champion team merely facing a rough stretch; instead, they appear to be a franchise in search of its former self.
