MI lost by 27 runs against Rajasthan Royals in a rain-hit contest.
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians succumbed to their second defeat of the IPL 2026 on Tuesday. They were thoroughly outplayed by Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati in a rain-affected 11-over game. The Hardik Pandya-led side is sitting in the bottom half of the table with two points from three games, with their solitary win coming against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Despite the back to back losses, experts believe MI are still one of the favourites to reach the playoffs, and even go on to win the trophy. But are they really that strong?
The former champions walked into the tournament as one of the favourites. They started by breaking the curse of not winning the season opener since 2012. But the next two games Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals showed serious weaknesses in the side.
Starting with the opening pair, Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton have overall done a decent job since last year. They put on a show in the opening game, adding 148 runs in 11.5 overs. But they have their issues against quality bowling attacks. On Tuesday, when they needed to chase 151 in 11 overs, Rickelton was dismissed for 8 off 4 while Rohit managed 5 off 6. It put them on the backfoot, and they could not recover.
Mumbai Indians’ another major concern over the years has been their middle order, and more specifically their game against spin. Tilak Varma did well in his first couple of seasons but has looked pretty awful for a while. Suryakumar Yadav has carried this batting unit on his back for years. His ability to smash pace and spin alike masked their struggles, and helped them reach the playoffs.
However, SKY has looked gloomy in recent times. His game against spin, especially, seems to have regressed significantly. His attacking intent against it has also gone down. Despite that, he did make 51 off 36 against Delhi, where the rest of the batters failed. With him going through this phase, Mumbai’s problems have only intensified.
It tells you a lot when these aren’t even their biggest concerns. That remains to be the bowling attack. It has been so bad that most often their strategy is Jasprit Bumrah and prayers. Barring him, they do not have a single bowler they can bank on to deliver four good overs game in and game out. Mitch Santner is obviously world class but the team management has shied away from bowling him whenever a left-hand batter is at the crease.
Honest assessment from HP. Work to do in the upcoming matches.#MumbaiIndians #OneFamily pic.twitter.com/07p2z5NtgV
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 8, 2026
Trent Boult is a shadow of his former self, and has lost his ability to swing the ball upfront, which was his biggest strength. Deepak Chahar has similar issues, and both of them have been unbowlable anywhere else. In three games this season, Bumrah and Santner have a combined economy of 7.85. The rest of the attack? They have conceded at 11.97 runs per over.
Moreover, Bumrah hasn’t looked at his best, and has been wicketless in these three games. There are concerns over his fitness, and it can be seen in his bowling. He has bowled more slot deliveries in these three games than he usually does in an entire tournament.
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The decorated franchise has relied heavily on SKY and Bumrah over the last few years. But those two stalwarts can not carry them all the time. Not when the game has evolved at a rapid pace. The management needs to be proactive and make changes that can provide these two the support they need.
In the batting unit, they need to promote the skipper Hardik to number four. He has the ability to hammer spinners, which is being wasted down the order. Give him the licence to take on the spin with high intent. Tilak Varma, who has shown better hitting ability against pace, can take up the finishing role alongside Naman Dhir and Sherfane Rutherford.
The bowling attack has more pressing needs to be tweaked, and they should do it by benching both Boult and Chahar. Use Hardik with the new ball alongside Bumrah. Bring in Corbin Bosch, who can provide better control in middle and death overs. They can also try young left-arm seamer Mohd Izhar, who has good attributes to succeed.
Since the early few years of the league, Mumbai Indians are currently going through their longest period without a trophy. The pressure is mounting on. Needless to say, the team management and players must step up before it’s too late.
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