Mumbai Indians have endured an ugly opening to the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League, managing just a single win in their first five matches. While problems are visible across the squad, the bowling unit has drawn the sharpest criticism for its repeated inability to control opposition batters. Pacers and seam-bowling options such as Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur have been expensive, leaking runs consistently, prompting former India batter Krishnamachari Srikkanth—an 1983 World Cup winner—to urge the franchise to clear their pending payments and send the duo back.
Srikkanth, who is known for direct and unsparing commentary on teams and players, said it is difficult to understand why Chahar and Shardul are still included in Mumbai’s playing XI despite their economy figures being among the worst this campaign. Speaking in a video posted on his YouTube channel, he questioned both the selection decision and the impact it has had on matches.
"I don’t know how MI are playing Deepak Chahar in the XI. I don’t know why they retained him. First over, he gave away 21 runs. In the previous match, it was 22 runs. 2.3 overs, 45 runs," Srikkanth said. "Our sir, Shardul Thakur. 3 overs, 42 runs. Combined, they bowled 5.3 overs and gave away 87 runs."
He then challenged the logic of carrying both bowlers in the same match, arguing that conceding that many runs in such a short spell makes the chase or defense nearly impossible. "How can you win a match if two of your important bowlers are giving away 87 runs in 5.3 overs? How can you play both of them in the XI? I asked that question in the pre-match show. Are you saying they don’t have any good bowling options?" he added.
Taking a blunt stance toward the management, Srikkanth urged the owners to settle what he called their dues and request that Chahar and Thakur not return for the remainder of the season. "Send them home. Pay them their money and request them to not return this season. Tell them if they are needed, they will be called. Yes, you can do this. It’s not wrong," he stated.
Even with the criticism aimed heavily at Chahar and Thakur, Srikkanth pointed out that Mumbai’s lead fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has also struggled to make breakthroughs early in the tournament. In the opening five fixtures, Bumrah has remained wicketless, and Srikkanth believes the fast bowler may need a break—both mentally and physically—after heavy workload in recent months.
"Five matches wicketless. He got hit also. He needs a mental break and a physical break. He gave his life and was at the peak of his prowess in the T20 World Cup. He was in the running for the Player of the Tournament award. They are now overburdening him," Srikkanth commented.
Srikkanth concluded by expressing disbelief at how poorly the bowling attack has performed compared to expectations at the start of the season, saying it has been so ineffective that opponents can chase any total. "I don’t understand how I rated this bowling attack 9.5 at the start of the season. Even if they had scored 500, the opposition would have chased it. That’s how bad their bowling attack is," he added.
