4 min readMumbai/ New DelhiApr 17, 2026 06:30 PM IST
Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians have had a torrid start to IPL 2026, losing their fourth match in a row to Punjab Kings on Thursday to languish in ninth place on the points table. The Hardik Pandya-led side began their season by beating Kolkata Knight Riders in their season opener, but since then have seen a worrying dip in fortunes.
From powerplay specialists to middle-order enforcers, several of their core players have had a difficult start to the new season, which has exposed gaps in both execution and role clarity.
Deepak Chahar & Trent Boult (Powerplay)
The new ball bowling pair of Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult have seen their powerplay prowess sharply decline in IPL 2026. Between 2023 and 2025, Chahar took 23 wickets in 32 innings at 8.49. In IPL 2026, those numbers have come down to one wicket at an economy rate of 12 runs per over.
Boult led the powerplay IPL charts between 2023 and 2025 with 32 scalps in 41 matches at an economy rate of 7.48. In IPL 2026, the impact has fallen drastically as the left-arm pacer is yet to take his first wicket and was omitted from the playing squad for MI’s last match against PBKS.
Jasprit Bumrah
Arguably, MI’s greatest worry currently is Jasprit Bumrah’s form in IPL 2026. The 32-year-old is yet to take a wicket this season and has been going at 8 runs per over in the powerplay, 8.86 runs in the middle overs and 9.50 runs at the death. The pacer has tended to bowl more slower ball variations as compared to trying to get wickets with swing, and this change in approach may partially explain his low returns this season.
Between 2023 and 2025, he was MI’s bowling bank in different phases, taking 10 wickets in the powerplay at 6.92, 12 in the middle overs at 6.09 and 16 in the death overs at 6.75.
Last season’s batting mainstay, Suryakumar Yadav, has had a slow start as the team’s primary number three batsman. The 35-year-old has made 55 runs in four matches in that position this season at an average of 13.75 and a strike rate of 161.76. In comparison, he enjoyed a more fruitful run at number three, between 2023 and 2025, where he made 669 runs in 18 matches at a strike rate of 176.90.
Surya’s best return this season has come while batting at number four, where he scored 51 against Delhi Capitals in MI’s second match of IPL 2026.
The captain – Hardik Pandya – had a lot riding on him ahead of this season. Yet, the 32-year-old has yet to deliver a defining performance this season. Pandya has made 53 runs in the middle overs with the bat and a mere 18 runs in the death overs at a strike rate of 135.71. The numbers have nosedived significantly from previous seasons, where, between 2023 and 2025, Pandya made 467 runs in the middle overs at 136.95 and 243 runs in the death overs at 184.09.His bowling numbers have dipped as well, with a mere two wickets in four matches so far at over 10 runs per over.
Tilak Varma
Leading into the T20 World Cup, Tilak Varma was handpicked as the number three batsman for the Indian team. However, at MI, his role has changed to that of a number four batsman. That shift seems to have had a negative impact, as the left-hander has made 35 runs in four matches so far batting at number four this season, thereby adding to MI’s woes.
Naman Dhir
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Dhir’s numbers this season underline the importance of role clarity in T20 cricket. Between 2024 and 2025, he was most effective at No. 7, scoring 184 runs at an average of 36.8 and a strike rate of 182.2. This season, he was initially used at number six, where he returned with 58 runs in three innings. On Thursday, he was promoted to number four against PBKS, where made a half-century, The shift was indicative of inconsistency across positions and whether his promotion was a one-off or not remains to be seen.
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