Mumbai Indians’ defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday means one clear outcome: the five-time champions will not be lifting the IPL trophy for a sixth consecutive year. With three matches left to reshape their campaign, MI must avoid finishing at the bottom—an outcome they have managed to steer away from only twice since 2021, and now they have the 2026 season as the immediate deadline.
Jayawardene on MI’s season: margins, consistency and missed chances
Head coach Mahela Jayawardene accepted the loss with a calm, but clearly frustrated, tone. He praised Krunal Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for their composure and execution when the game tightened. At the same time, he did not evade questions about what has not worked for MI across the season, while noting that any full diagnosis would be premature because the disappointment is still fresh.
After MI were beaten by two wickets by RCB—an outcome that extended MI’s tally to eight defeats in 11 matches—Jayawardene said the season has been disappointing because the team repeatedly failed to convert opportunities and bring consistent performances with both bat and ball.
He added that MI may have been only a couple of wins away from being part of the playoff group, but those results never arrived. In his view, the match was another example of MI being short at key moments, making it hard to draw a definitive conclusion immediately—though he acknowledged the need for a deeper look at execution and skill levels.
Last-over decision backfires: Raj Angad Bawa under pressure
MI did create openings in the match, but a bold bowling call in the final over became a decisive factor. The team handed the responsibility to Raj Angad Bawa, a rookie allrounder bowling for the first time in his four-year IPL career. The over began poorly, with a wide and then a no-ball.
Even so, Bawa briefly swung momentum in MI’s favour by dismissing Romario Shepherd on the third delivery. However, he immediately lost control again, conceding another wide before Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck him for six—an impact that tilted the contest towards RCB.
Why MI trusted Bawa
Explaining the thinking, Jayawardene said MI had used up their other options at that point, leaving them with limited experienced bowling choices. He outlined the available spin resources, and also discussed why Bawa was seen as the best fit for the moment.
- Jayawardene said MI’s primary bowlers were “finished” at the time, leaving them without a remaining senior, experienced option.
- He pointed out that Will Jacks and AM Ghazanfar were in the mix as spinners, with Raghu Sharma also mentioned as someone who had not bowled.
- The other alternative, Jayawardene said, would likely have been Allah Ghazanfar, but that plan also would have come with risk.
- He said Suryakumar Yadav supported Bawa, and that the team believed in Bawa’s ability from practice—particularly his yorkers and “wide stuff.”
- Jayawardene believed Bawa bowled well to Shepherd and delivered the right lines, adding that the dismissal was important even if the over ended badly.
- He accepted that a couple of wides and a no-ball put extra pressure on Bawa, but said MI also had to evaluate the scenario in real time.
Jayawardene concluded that while the ending fell short, he was satisfied with the way MI fought, and that the result ultimately came down to fine margins and execution in the closing stage.
Pitch, death-overs and key wickets that cost runs
Jayawardene also discussed the Raipur surface, describing it as uneven and challenging, while rejecting the idea that it should be used as an excuse. MI were bowled out with 166 on the board, and he agreed that the total was not enough. Still, he framed the pitch as a “good wicket” that rewarded skill and discipline.
He said the conditions helped fast bowlers at times and also gave spinners something to work with, while batters could score if they played properly. Overall, he considered it a competitive strip rather than an unfair one.
What RCB did in the finish
Jayawardene credited RCB’s bowling unit for executing effectively in the death overs, during which MI managed just 30 runs. He singled out the dismissal of Naman Dhir—who top-scored with 47—in the 13th over as a particularly damaging moment.
At that stage, Dhir’s partnership with Tilak Varma looked like it could take MI to a bigger score than 166, but the wicket disrupted the momentum.
Critical overs and the “if only” gap
Jayawardene said MI understood that 170–180 would have been a strong target and that they were moving in that direction. However, he pointed to a run of wickets around the 14–15 over range that he described as unforced mistakes, which, in his estimation, would have translated into an additional 15–20 runs if those dismissals had not happened.
- He felt MI were tracking towards the 170–180 mark before losing wickets at key points.
- Jayawardene cited the dismissal of Naman Dhir as one turning point during the 13th over.
- He also noted that Will Jacks was dismissed just before the timeout, further cutting into MI’s momentum.
- He argued those moments could have added roughly 15–20 runs to the innings, though he emphasized the final outcome cannot be explained by hypotheticals.
- His final assessment was blunt: “that’s not good enough.”
Injuries, team balance and backing senior players
Reflecting on the broader campaign, Jayawardene said he would have preferred to keep MI’s “core guys” consistently available. He explained that MI’s lineup had been disrupted by injuries and fitness issues, preventing stable team combinations throughout the tournament.
He referenced Rohit Sharma’s hamstring injury at the start of the season, which ruled him out for six matches. He also said Hardik Pandya suffered back spasms towards the business end, leaving MI scrambling for balance. In between, Mitchell Santner was ruled out as well due to a shoulder injury.
Forced changes, not constant chopping
When asked about whether MI were frequently rotating personnel, Jayawardene said the changes were largely forced rather than tactical tinkering.
- Jayawardene said MI were dealing with “a lot of injuries” and “niggles,” with players unavailable at various stages.
- He insisted that tactically, MI would have made very few adjustments during the season.
- He stressed there are “no excuses,” adding that MI had a quality squad but still had to acknowledge they were not good enough overall.
- He maintained that the season is still alive, with MI continuing to play “good cricket,” and that the team needs to sustain that level.
Trust in Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya
Jayawardene was also asked whether it was becoming harder to keep backing underperforming senior players, particularly Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya. Jayawardene did not waver in his response.
For context, he noted that Suryakumar was out for a first-ball duck on Sunday and has scored 195 runs in 11 innings. He also said Hardik has managed 146 runs in eight innings and added four wickets while averaging nearly 12 runs per over.
Jayawardene said that if the issue were related to commitment, he would have addressed it directly. Instead, he pointed to the effort and attitude of the players. He also referenced Rohit’s return from injury and how he performed with the bat, describing it as evidence of the core group’s value.
He added that MI went into the season with trust and confidence, and that while the final result has not matched the group’s ambitions, changing constantly is not the answer. Jayawardene also referenced that the core group experienced a successful World Cup campaign, but said that as a unit, MI simply have not been good enough in the IPL this season.
