Mumbai Indians’ (MI) bid for the IPL 2026 playoffs is teetering after a brutal stretch in which they have lost six of their eight matches. The five-time champions also failed to defend a target of 243 in their last outing against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), turning their campaign into an uphill battle. With captain Hardik Pandya’s leadership and overall output now under heavy scrutiny, former West Indies fast bowler and well-known commentator Ian Bishop believes the pressure cannot be pinned on the MI skipper alone.
Not just Hardik: Bishop’s view on MI’s struggles
Bishop argued that MI’s problems should be treated as a collective issue, pointing out that captaincy involves planning, but results ultimately depend on execution from the whole squad.
“Their lack of success can’t be linked to one individual. Hardik himself has admitted his form needs to improve. From a tactical angle, perhaps he could manage things a touch differently—but he will need the big names in the group to deliver,” Bishop said in a conversation with NDTV.
He went on to stress that when performances dip across departments, responsibility is shared. “As a captain, you can set out all the plans, but if your players aren’t delivering, you’re going to be in trouble. And as (Kieron) Pollard and Mahela (Jayawardene) have said, everyone is involved. I don’t think blame should fall on one person,” Bishop added, speaking in an interaction around IPL 2026’s “Revenge Week.”
Stalwarts under pressure: batting and bowling concerns
Bishop highlighted that MI’s main concern has been the inconsistent form of key players during this stretch. Suryakumar Yadav has managed only 162 runs across eight games, which includes an average of 20—numbers that have made it difficult for MI to build the momentum required in tight T20 contests.
On the bowling front, MI’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has also been far from his usual impact. He has taken just two wickets in eight matches, a return that has left MI searching for breakthroughs more often than they would like.
Fatigue factor after T20 World Cup 2026
Bishop also suggested that the workload from international duty could have played a part, especially given what Bumrah and Suryakumar contributed during the T20 World Cup 2026.
“Ideally, I would have wanted guys like Bumrah and Suryakumar to have had a longer rest after winning the T20 World Cup in 2026. What they put out to win the tournament must have been exhausting. I can’t picture the kind of energy they’ve had to spend. In a perfect scenario, I’d have liked to see some of them—particularly Bumrah—get a break to refresh,” Bishop said.
He added that time away would allow players to take stock, analyse, recover properly, and then fine-tune their skills and plans for the next phase.
MI’s must-win reality
With their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, MI now face a demanding path forward. They need to win each of their remaining six matches to give themselves any meaningful chance of qualifying for the IPL 2026 playoffs.
