Hardik Pandya’s expression said it all as Mumbai Indians suffered yet another setback in the IPL 2026, this time falling to Chennai Super Kings. The defeat cut deep for a side that had once looked built for dominance, and the pain was clear on Pandya’s face as the result confirmed Mumbai’s struggles beyond a single match. With an eight-wicket loss delivering a heavy blow to their chances, Mumbai Indians now find themselves staring at a qualification race that is effectively hanging by a thread. They sit ninth in the standings, having managed only two wins from nine outings, and are on just four points.
On paper, Mumbai Indians still carry the weight of past glory. Their squad remains packed with household names and match-winners, including Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Pandya himself, and Jasprit Bumrah. The franchise has won five IPL titles and has typically been capable of intimidating opposition. Yet the current campaign tells a different story. The numbers underline the issue: in IPL 2026, there is not a single Mumbai Indians batter among the top five run-scorers, and no Mumbai Indians bowler has made the top five wicket-takers list.
After Mumbai Indians recorded their seventh defeat of the season, former India batter Manoj Tiwary pointed to a leadership and support problem around Pandya, who took over the captaincy in 2024. Tiwary suggested that, even if the captain has a defined role, he needs backing from the group to operate effectively and maintain momentum. “It was already over for me. When I sit here, I speak openly about what I see. Based on the cricket I’ve witnessed, a captain must win the confidence of every player; you have to be a leader. However, it feels like no one is standing with Hardik. The support he needs simply isn’t there,” Tiwary said.
Tiwary also argued that responsibility cannot rest solely on the captain. In his view, players around him must raise their levels and show more consistent returns. He highlighted Suryakumar’s inconsistency and questioned Tilak Verma’s ability to keep form steady after what he described as one good performance. “Yes, the captain has a role, and in my opinion, he isn’t playing well. But beyond that, the other players must take responsibility. For instance, Surya is not performing consistently on a daily basis, and Tilak hasn’t maintained his form after one good match. With that kind of inconsistency from the squad, how can you produce results? It’s very disappointing,” he added.
Murali Kartik, another former India spinner, went a step further by describing Mumbai’s path to the playoffs as virtually closed. He emphasised the math of the points chase and the reality of how far other teams have already progressed. “Look, you have five matches left. I’m saying forget who you are playing against—even if you win five out of five, you only reach 14 points. If you look at the table now, PBKS, RCB, SRH, and RR are all sitting around 12 or 13 points. Even if those teams only win two or three more games, they will remain ahead,” Kartik said.
He maintained that even a perfect run from Mumbai would likely not be enough because the top four teams still have games in hand. Kartik noted the remaining fixtures for several contenders, pointing out that Punjab Kings still have six matches to play, while RCB and SRH have five each and Rajasthan has four. He also referenced the broader struggle at the other end of the table, adding that even GT is finding it difficult to climb away from the bottom. “Even if Mumbai wins every remaining match, 14 is their ceiling. Meanwhile, the top four teams still have games in hand. Punjab Kings have six matches left; RCB and SRH have five; Rajasthan has four. There would need to be a massive shift for MI to qualify. As it stands, the other teams are well ahead, and even GT is struggling to climb up from the bottom. I would say the campaign is 99.999% over,” he concluded.
For now, Mumbai Indians must try to reverse their fortunes quickly, while the rest of the table continues to move further away—turning each remaining match into a tougher test of character than a realistic route to the playoffs.
