Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh believes Mumbai Indians—five-time IPL champions—have not yet found the right rhythm in IPL 2026 and must correct their errors quickly if they want to return to winning ways. He pointed to their recent form after the franchise endured a heavy 103-run defeat to Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, a result that also became their most lopsided loss in terms of runs in the T20 format. The defeat has left MI struggling in the lower half of the standings.
Harbhajan said Mumbai have the quality to compete consistently, but they are currently going through a stretch where performances are not clicking. “Mumbai Indians are a strong team, but they haven’t found their rhythm yet and are on a losing run. There have been a few mistakes, and the spinners have not delivered as expected,” he said.
The veteran spinner also urged other members of the squad to raise their contributions to ease the workload on Jasprit Bumrah, who carries a significant share of the pressure during matches. “There are high expectations from Jasprit Bumrah, and he carries a significant workload. Other players also need to contribute and step up with their performances. Mumbai Indians are a side that can be very difficult to stop once they start winning. They need to find the right approach to get back to winning ways,” Harbhajan added.
Despite the struggle that has come early in the tournament, Harbhajan feels there is still a pathway for MI to reach the playoffs if they manage to string together victories. His remarks arrived in the wake of MI’s record-setting loss to CSK at Wankhede, where the visitors produced a commanding all-round display. CSK opted to bat first and piled up 207 for 6, creating a target that proved too steep for Mumbai.
In CSK’s innings, Sanju Samson set the tone with an outstanding unbeaten 101, steering the chase from the front. The rest of the batting group chipped in effectively as well, helping ensure the total crossed the 200-run mark. When Mumbai Indians came out to respond, they struggled almost immediately and were eventually dismissed for 104 in 19 overs, falling short by 103 runs.
Akeal Hosein was the standout with the ball, finishing with four wickets, while Noor Ahmad also played an important role by providing additional breakthroughs to keep MI under pressure throughout the innings.
Following the defeat, Mumbai Indians have dropped to eighth place in the points table, with only four points from seven matches. Their next assignment will be against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 29 at the same venue, in what promises to be a must-win game for MI.
