MI Bowling “Hole”, Inconsistency Hurting IPL 2026 Campaign, Admits Mahela Jayawardene

Head coach Mahela Jayawardene admits Mumbai Indians struggling for consistency and execution after heavy loss to Chennai Super Kings

Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene has openly admitted that the team is still searching for the right balance in their bowling attack during the ongoing Indian Premier League 2026 season. With just two wins in seven matches, MI find themselves stuck in the lower half of the table after suffering a crushing defeat against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium.

Reflecting on the campaign so far, Jayawardene highlighted the inconsistency that has plagued the side.

“If you analyse the seven games, yes, there was a hole in our bowling and we got some fresh faces in there. [The win against Gujarat Titans in] Ahmedabad looked good. Again, here, I thought in patches we bowled well. It is just execution-wise, consistency-wise, I think we are one of the teams that has given the highest number of big overs – 18-plus overs, if you look at the half-season,” Jayawardene said after MI’s 103-run hammering by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

MI’s struggles are reflected in their numbers, conceding runs at an economy rate of 10.52—the highest this season, while picking up only 34 wickets, among the lowest across teams.

Bumrah Role Tweaks & Powerplay Failures Exposed

The inconsistency has also forced MI to experiment with their bowling combinations. Initially, Trent Boult was trusted with the new ball, but a lack of wickets and expensive spells led to a tactical shift, bringing Jasprit Bumrah into the powerplay more often.

“Yes, we are trying a few things,” Jayawardene said. “Booms [Bumrah] we thought we needed some experience up front to take the new ball, because where we were lacking was we were not setting a tone with the first over itself. We were going for ten, 12, 13 runs. So, let’s grab that back. So, we’ve tried a few things.”

However, MI’s issues extended beyond bowling, as they lost control of both powerplays against CSK. While CSK raced to 73/2, MI stumbled to 29/3 in their chase of 208.

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“Once you lose a match like that, it’s difficult to even analyse it,” Jayawardene said. “But probably where we lost both the powerplays with the ball and with the bat, we just couldn’t get to the game. We had a great game in Ahmedabad, I thought we found some rhythm, but again, we lost that rhythm.

“I don’t think the wicket played badly, probably it stayed the same. Once you are 7 [11] for 3, you are always going to get pulled back. They had the upper hand from that point. But overall, we have to be better. We got blown away, but we need to move on and see the good things we have done and be consistent in those areas.”

With MI set to face Sunrisers Hyderabad next, the team will hope the short break helps them rediscover consistency and revive their IPL 2026 campaign.