Mumbai Indians have started facing difficulties in IPL 2026 after losing back-to-back matches. The team began the season with a win, but recent defeats have raised questions about their bowling and batting performance.
Former India batter Aakash Chopra has pointed out that Jasprit Bumrah’s lack of wickets is one of the major reasons behind Mumbai Indians’ struggles so far.
Defeat Against Rajasthan Royals Highlights MI Issues
Mumbai Indians’ latest defeat came against Rajasthan Royals. The match exposed weaknesses in the team’s bowling attack.
Despite reaching Qualifier 2 in the past with a similar bowling group, the current season has not started well for the five-time champions.
The bowling unit has failed to control runs and pick wickets at important moments, which has made things difficult for the team.
Jasprit Bumrah Yet to Take a Wicket
Aakash Chopra discussed Bumrah’s performance on his YouTube channel. He highlighted that the star pacer has not taken a wicket in the first three matches of the season.
In the match against Rajasthan Royals, Bumrah bowled three overs and conceded 32 runs without taking a wicket.
Bumrah IPL 2026 performance so far
| Matches | Overs | Runs Conceded | Economy | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 11 | 88 | 8.00 | 0 |
Chopra mentioned that Bumrah has bowled in difficult phases of the game, including the powerplay and the death overs. Even then, the lack of wickets has become a concern for Mumbai Indians.
Other MI Bowlers Also Struggling
According to Chopra, the problem is not limited to Bumrah. Several other bowlers in the Mumbai Indians attack are also struggling to control the scoring rate.
MI bowlers performance snapshot
| Bowler | Economy Rate |
|---|---|
| Deepak Chahar | 10.5 |
| Hardik Pandya | 11.2 |
| Allah Ghazanfar | 12.0 |
| Trent Boult | 12.0 |
Chopra explained that simply rotating bowlers will not solve the issue. The existing bowling unit must improve its performances.
He also mentioned Shardul Thakur, who picked up three wickets in one match, including the dismissal of Vaibhav Suryavanshi. However, even in that game his economy rate was high at 12.88.
Also See : Hardik Pandya Praises 15-Year-Old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi After RR Beat MI in IPL 2026
Mumbai Indians Batting Also Under Pressure
Mumbai Indians’ batting has also struggled in key moments. During the chase in the recent match, the team lost early wickets and could not build momentum.
At one stage, MI were 22/3, losing Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton and Suryakumar Yadav quickly.
The early collapse made the chase extremely difficult and allowed Rajasthan Royals to control the match.
Rajasthan Royals’ Bowling Strategy Worked Well
Aakash Chopra also praised Rajasthan Royals for their smart bowling tactics.
Captain Riyan Parag used his bowlers effectively and rotated them well throughout the innings.
RR bowlers such as Jofra Archer and Sandeep Sharma maintained pressure with disciplined bowling, which prevented Mumbai Indians from building partnerships.
What MI Must Improve
For Mumbai Indians to return to winning form, improvements are needed in both bowling and batting.
Areas MI must improve
| Area | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Bowling | More wickets in powerplay and death overs |
| Economy rate | Better control from all bowlers |
| Batting | Stronger top-order starts |
| Consistency | Team performance across all departments |
Aakash Chopra believes Bumrah’s wicket drought is a concern, but the entire bowling group must perform better.
Mumbai Indians still have plenty of matches left in IPL 2026, but the team needs to find momentum quickly.
Better bowling discipline and stronger batting partnerships will be crucial if MI want to challenge for another IPL title.
Fans will be watching closely to see whether the five-time champions can solve these early problems and return to their dominant form in the coming matches.
