NEW DELHI: Eight games, two wins and six losses, four points and a worrying net run rate of -0.784 – which sums up the five-time champions’ woes mumbai indians In IPL 2026. Nothing seems to be going well.It’s a continuation of last season’s struggles. In IPL 2025, Mumbai Indians are at the bottom with only 4 wins and 10 losses from 14 games. Unfortunately for them, things haven’t changed much this year.The star-studded team started their IPL 2026 season on a positive note, beating Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets in the opener. However, things quickly went off the rails. They are on a losing streak, losing four consecutive games to Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab.Under increasing pressure, Mumbai defeated Gujarat Titans by 99 runs in the sixth match. It looked like a turning point – but the revival was short-lived.
They then suffered two more defeats. First, a crushing 103-run loss to Chennai Super Kings, and then a heartbreaking loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad despite posting a mammoth score of 243/5.For a team with five IPL titles under its belt, the ongoing slump raises serious questions.
What went wrong for Mumbai Indians this season?
Bumrah’s struggles add to MI’s woesJasprit Bumrah In IPL 2026, he is going through a rare slump. The pace spearhead is known for his lethal yorkers and ability to make the stumps roll but has struggled to make an impact this season.Bumrah didn’t take a wicket in the first five games until he suffered his first injury in the sixth match against the Gujarat Titans, dismissing Sai Sudharsan on the first ball of the match.
It’s not just the lack of wickets – his price tag is high too. Young batsmen have taken on him, including rising star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who hit two sixes in a single over.Bumrah also failed to stand out in Mumbai Indians’ high-scoring match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Despite Mumbai Indians posting a formidable 243/5, he was unable to exert the expected pressure. The fast bowler conceded 54 runs in four overs at an economy rate of 13.50 and was hit with five sixes.His attackers included Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen and young man Sali Arora. Arora even produced a stunning no-look shot, sending the ball over Bumrah’s head.For a bowler who has often single-handedly won matches for Mumbai Indians, this drop in form is significant and one of the reasons why the team has struggled this season.Surya’s weight loss continuesSuryakumar Yadav enters IPL 2026 with high expectations after leading India to the T20 World Cup title. However, his recent performance has been unsatisfactory.In the T20 World Cup, Surya failed to make sustained impact with the bat. Aside from an impressive 84 points against Team USA, he struggled against most opponents, scoring just 157 points in seven games. Going into the IPL, he was expected to be back to his aggressive, free-flowing best in the shortest format.But so far that hasn’t happened.
The 35-year-old is going through one of the toughest IPL seasons in recent times, compared to 2021 when he scored 317 runs at an average of 22.64. When Mumbai Indians needed an experienced batsman to step up and lead from the front, Surya was unable to do so.He struggled against the run and failed to convert starts into meaningful contributions in a situation where the team needed someone to take responsibility and run the game.He has scored just 162 runs in eight games so far at an average of 20.25, which reflects both his decline in form and one of Mumbai Indians’ woes this season.Without Rohit, MI has no stabilityabsent Rohit Sharma This is a major setback for Mumbai Indians this season. The star opener has missed the last four games due to a hamstring injury and has featured in just four matches so far.Rohit, who has led Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles, kicked off his IPL 2026 campaign with a slick 78 against Kolkata Knight Riders to seal the victory. He then scored 35 points against Delhi Capitals, 5 points against Rajasthan Royals and an unbeaten 19 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, he suffered a hamstring injury during the RCB match and had to retire injured.
His absence disrupted Mumbai’s top-order start. The aggressive approach and consistency he provided on the power play has been sorely missed.In his absence, the team tried various opening combinations. Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock shared just 12 runs for the first wicket. Against the Gujarat Titans, Denmark Malewal partnered with De Kock but the two scored only 10 points. The same combination failed again against Chennai Super Kings, scoring just 7 points in the first match.Apart from his role as an opener, Rohit’s absence also affected his leadership on the field. His experience coaching captains Hardik Pandya Everything from pitch layout to tactical input is missing, further exacerbating Mumbai Indians’ woes this season. Intermediate crash When the start falters, the team relies on the middle order to rebuild and provide stability through a combination of intent and resilience. For Mumbai Indians, the box remains out of control this season.Against Delhi Capitals, with Suryakumar Yadav leading the charge in the absence of Hardik Pandya, a breakdown in order in the midfield proved costly. Tilak Varma (0), Sherfane Rutherford (5) and Naman Dhir (28) failed to contribute, causing the chase to go off the rails.The 11-over match against Rajasthan Royals was another missed opportunity due to heavy rain. After RR posted 150/3, Mumbai Indians performed well in the contest but a poor middle-order performance led to a 27-run defeat.
A similar story happened during the Royal Challengers Bangalore match. Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir were chasing 240 but managed just one run each. Despite having 222 points on the board and MI could have crossed the finish line if the middle order had contributed just a little better, they were still 18 runs behind.The midfield again failed to get off to a good start against Kings XI Punjab. Suryakumar Yadav (0), Hardik Pandya (14), Rutherford (1) and Tilak (8) could not push the innings forward. From a position that looked like it might be over 230, MI ended up with a score of 195/6, with Kings XI Punjab easily tying the score in 16.3 overs.The collapse was most evident in the crushing defeat against the Chennai Super Kings. Chasing 207/6, MI fell off the top of the order early, with Quinton de Kock (7), Danish Malewar (0) and Dhir (0) all suffering minor losses. Suryakumar (36) and Tilak (37) tried to recover, but once they were off, the rest of the middle order – Pandya (1), Rutherford (0) and Shardul Thakur (6) – quickly folded, leading to a humiliating 103-run defeat.
