Former Indian players Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble have expressed their concerns about Mumbai Indians’ disappointing performance in the IPL 2026 season. They pointed to the team’s reliance on Jasprit Bumrah and a noticeable lack of confidence among the players.
Mumbai Indians, who have won the IPL title five times, have struggled this season to find their form. The team has faced challenges in both batting and bowling, failing to perform consistently.
Harbhajan Singh, once the captain of MI, noted that the bowling attack is too dependent on Bumrah, with other bowlers not stepping up.
“Jasprit Bumrah can turn a match around, but relying solely on him is a mistake. Other bowlers, like Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, and Hardik Pandya, seem to lack confidence,” Harbhajan stated on JioStar.
He also pointed out issues in Mumbai’s spin department, which he sees as a significant weakness.
“Mumbai has relied on Bumrah for a long time, but now they’re depending on him too much. We need someone else to take wickets. The spin bowlers are also a concern, as there are no quality local spinners available right now,” he added.
Harbhajan, who had a successful stint with MI, mentioned that he is surprised by the team’s current body language, which is different from what he experienced during his time.
“The body language of Mumbai Indians is something I haven’t seen before. I was part of the team for nearly ten years. Even during tough times, like losing five matches in a row, we never looked flat. We always had the fight in us,” he explained.
Anil Kumble shared similar views on Mumbai’s overall performance, emphasizing that the batting lineup has not compensated for the bowlers’ struggles.
“Jasprit Bumrah is among the best bowlers, and teams naturally rely on him. But when bowlers are struggling, the batting must make up for it, and that hasn’t happened for Mumbai,” Kumble noted on the same show.
He also highlighted the low confidence level and lack of intent in MI’s middle order.
“The middle order shows a clear lack of confidence. If there’s no intent and fearlessness in the batting lineup, then when will there be?” Kumble asked.
Despite their struggles, Kumble believes MI can still bounce back, but he expressed concern over the manner of their defeats this season.
“If any team can recover from this situation, it’s them. They have done it before. However, how they are losing is alarming. In the past, they fought hard even during slow starts, but now they are losing by large margins, which is worrying,” he concluded.
The Hardik Pandya-led team has been officially eliminated from IPL 2026 after losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru on May 10.