Thursday May 14, 2026
Thursday May 14, 2026
Tuesday, 12 May 2026 05:48 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene
Mumbai Indians’ defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday confirmed the five-time champions’ elimination from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 play-off race, extending their title drought to a sixth consecutive season.
The loss, Mumbai’s eighth in 11 matches, leaves the franchise with three remaining fixtures to avoid finishing bottom of the table for the third time since 2021.
Head coach Mahela Jayawardene admitted Mumbai had failed to deliver consistently with either bat or ball during the campaign.
“The season is disappointing. We had our opportunities, but we were not good enough. We were not consistent enough with the ball or with the bat, and that showed in the margins,” Jayawardene said after the two-wicket defeat.
He said Mumbai were “two or three wins away” from remaining in contention for a play-off spot but repeatedly failed to execute under pressure.
Mumbai’s latest defeat hinged on a tense final over in which rookie all-rounder Raj Angad Bawa, bowling for the first time in his IPL career, was entrusted with defending the target after the side exhausted its frontline bowling options.
Bawa began the over with a wide and a no-ball before dismissing Romario Shepherd, briefly reviving Mumbai’s hopes. However, another wide and a six struck by Bhuvneshwar Kumar swung the match decisively in Bengaluru’s favour.
Jayawardene defended the decision to use Bawa in the final over, saying the team had few alternatives left and backed the youngster based on his performances in practice.
“We trusted him in that situation. Under pressure, a couple of wides and a no-ball can happen. But overall, we probably should have executed better at the end,” he said.
Mumbai posted 166, with Naman Dhir top-scoring with 47, but Jayawardene said losing wickets in the middle overs prevented the side from reaching a more competitive total.
“We knew 170-180 was a good score on that surface. Losing wickets around the 14th and 15th overs cost us momentum and probably 15 to 20 additional runs,” he said.
Jayawardene also pointed to injuries as a major factor behind the side’s inconsistent campaign. Rohit Sharma missed six matches with a hamstring injury, while Hardik Pandya struggled with back spasms late in the tournament. Mitchell Santner was also sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Despite criticism surrounding the poor form of senior players including Hardik and Suryakumar Yadav, Jayawardene said the team continued to back its experienced core.
“The commitment and effort from the senior players have been unbelievable. We trusted the group we had, but as a unit we simply have not been good enough,” he said.
