What went wrong for Mumbai Indians at IPL 2026?

Dubai: The Mumbai Indians are among the most successful franchises in IPL history, boasting a record five titles and a legacy of sustained dominance across multiple eras of the tournament.

So, it comes as a major shock that they are set to miss out on this year’s play-offs, marking a dramatic fall for one of the league’s most consistent powerhouses.

After a positive start to the tournament Mumbai Indians reached an all-time low on Sunday night as the team’s play-off hopes came crashing down after losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Match 54 at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur.

The Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians went into the tournament as one of the strongest squads on paper and were widely tipped as title favourites.

Their season also got off to a highly unusual start by their standards, as they secured a win in their opening match for the first time since 2012, breaking a long-standing trend at the franchise.

However, the five-time champions were unable to carry their momentum forward, managing just three wins from their 11 matches.

As a result, they find themselves languishing in ninth place on the IPL 2026 points table with only six points to their name, but what exactly went wrong?

Failure to turn Wankhede into a fortress

One of the key factors behind Mumbai’s decline was their failure to turn Wankhede Stadium into a fortress.

The team managed just two wins from their six home games, marking one of their poorest returns at the venue in a single season.

The struggle was further highlighted by a first-ever sequence of four consecutive defeats at Wankhede, as they were unable to fully capitalise on the advantage of playing in familiar conditions.

Jasprit Bumrah not at the races

Another major factor in Mumbai Indians’ disappointing season was the underwhelming form of their leading pacer, Jasprit Bumrah.

The fast bowler endured his toughest IPL campaign to date, going wicketless in the opening five matches and struggling to make a consistent impact throughout the season. Across 11 innings, he managed just three wickets at a costly average of 116.33, well below his usual standards.

Rather than looking like his dominant self, Bumrah often appeared fatigued and out of rhythm, a shadow of the bowler who has previously spearheaded Mumbai success.

Questionable captaincy

Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya has also endured a forgettable campaign, managing just 146 runs across eight innings while contributing only four wickets with the ball.

His struggles extended beyond individual performances, as his leadership decisions on the field increasingly came under scrutiny. Pandya also found it difficult to settle on a consistent team combination throughout the season, and an injury setback further compounded the side’s challenges.

Key players injured or out of form

Ultimately Mumbai Indians’ season was heavily disrupted by a relentless injury crisis, with the franchise forced to rotate as many as 24 players throughout the campaign.

The problems began when Rohit Sharma picked up a hamstring injury against RCB. His replacement, Quinton de Kock, made an immediate impact with a century on debut but later suffered a wrist issue that ruled him out for multiple matches, once again forcing MI to reshuffle their opening pair.

Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner also struggled with a shoulder injury before eventually being ruled out for the remainder of the season. Collectively, these recurring setbacks prevented Mumbai from settling on a stable XI, making it difficult to build rhythm or consistency across the tournament.