The anatomy of Mumbai Indians’ fall into a punching bag

By K.R. Nayar 

Mumbai Indians’ (MI) show in the Indian Premier League 2026 is not just disappointing but baffling. They seem to be losing irrespective of what they do. Despite posting 243 for 5 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at their home ground, the Wankhede, they still lost by six wickets on Tuesday, April 29, 2026. These five-time champions seem to be on a race to finish at the bottom of the table.

At this point it seems like this team is running around in circles. Watching them, one feels that their acts are an exercise in futility—a bottling side or, in one word, a hapless and doomed side. Their fans have a hundred reasons to be disappointed, especially when their team is being seen as the league’s punching bag. Are they under a cloud, jinxed, or stuck in a rot? In the end, if they finish at the bottom of the table, it will not just be disappointing—it will be downright tragic.

A close look at their defeats will reveal that, over and above the absence of their star player Rohit Sharma and the poor form of star bowler Jasprit Bumrah, the defeats are also due to poor tactical decisions and inconsistent team selection. Hardik Pandya is a fine all-rounder, but his captaincy skills are questionable. It was a glaring error in not introducing himself in the 15 over when the pressure was mounting, and instead introducing spin, which SRH’s Heinrich Klaasen gleefully relished, scoring a match-winning 65 to walk away with the Player of the Match award. As a result, MI’s Ryan Rickelton’s unbeaten 123 went in vain.

It was also shocking to find Jasprit Bumrah, the most feared bowler in the world, being hit for 54 runs in four overs and unable to take any wicket. Would anyone have imagined that Bumrah would turn into a liability for the team? He is a player who cannot be dropped; but it seems like he has now turned into a baggage for the team.

The manner in which Pandya manages his bowling resources is indeed shocking. He seems to have no clue about when to introduce a spinner or a pacer. A captain with limited clarity on the basics of T20 cricket is also a liability, no matter how talented he is.  MI has turned out to be a team that relies more on individual brilliance rather than a collective effort to win matches.

Many believed that breaking the trend of bowling first after winning the toss and deciding to bat first at the Wankhede would ensure a victory.  MIs’ highest-ever first-innings score of 243 for 5 went in vain, as SRH found the conditions comfortable for a chase. This change in trend was implemented by Pandya, knowing well that the Wankhede always favours the chasing team. It was a desperate move by a captain searching for answers to win. When a team is running in circles, unable to win, many such experiments that can fail will be tried out—and it failed. It is shocking that the Wankhede is turning out to be a tough ground for MIs.

SRH is strong and are doing well because their openers, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, recorded their sixth century stand—the most by any opening pair in IPL history. MI needs players who are consistent. Their powerplay performance, both from the batters and the bowlers, has been very poor. How can a team that gives away 92 runs in the first six overs expect to win?

It has now reached a stage where MI is a team living on its past glory with ageing stars. The game has moved on - faster, younger and more fearless. They are unable to catch up with teams that have young and aggressive players. When players like Rajasthan Royals’ 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and 25-year-old Abhishek Sharma are in the race for the Orange Cap, scoring over 400 runs, MI’s over-30 players have done nothing exceptional. This also raises the question of whether, in the IPL, is 32 considered too old for the tournament?