With the doors knocking at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 edition, five-time champions in Mumbai Indians (MI) will also be looking to regain their long-lost form and eye for their record-breaking sixth title. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to announce the schedule for IPL 2026, but franchises have started to prepare for the forthcoming season, which is speculated to be played from March till May this year.
With the MI Paltan already looking forward to the season, they are concerned about the form of a few players, raising eyebrows about their impact and selection strategy. While these players might have shown a few glimpses of their prowess, their inconsistent form have led the franchise to ponder on their role in the upcoming edition.
Tilak Varma
Tilak Varma, an exciting young talent, has shown flashes of brilliance but mainly struggled for consistency during key matches, impacting his performance on the whole. Although he played a crucial role in India’s success at the 2025 Asia Cup, along with a few other important knocks in international games, some inconsistency in strike rate has led him to be named in this list.
Furthermore, his performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 also hasn’t been up to the mark. Known for his brisk knocks in the T20 format, Varma has so far scored 151 runs across six innings at an average of 30.20. No doubt, he hasn’t been poor, but the ceiling is so high for Tilak.
Deepak Chahar
Deepak Chahar, who was a key bowler for MI in IPL 2025, had a decent season, picking 11 wickets from 14 appearances. While he showed effectiveness with the new ball, there were discussions around his inconsistent performance, especially in the powerplay. He was then seen in the Indian 2025-26 domestic cricket season, where he was included in the Rajasthan squad for the Ranji Trophy, but his season was disturbed by injuries.
While it was more of a transition phase for Deepak Chahar, who returned after batting injuries, as it focused on maintaining fitness and contributing with the ball while building form. However, he has been hit for quite a few runs at the DY Patil tournament as well.
Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma did have a great IPL 2025 season in MI colours, as he achieved several milestones, including becoming only the second Indian to surpass 12,000 T20 runs. He also played some essential knocks, but post that he has had zero experience in T20 cricket, having retired from T20Is post India’s T20 World Cup 2024 victory. Although the 38-year-old boasts of a strike rate of over 135 in T20s, his close to zero experience prior to the IPL 2026 makes him on this list.
Suryakumar Yadav
In 2025, Suryakumar’s T20I form dipped significantly compared to his elite reputation. Throughout the year, he scored 218 runs in 19 T20I innings at an average of around 13.62, without registering a single fifty and with a modest strike rate in the low 120s during that stretch — a rare slump for the India T20I captain. This poor run included multiple low scores and few impactful contributions, drawing criticism and discussions about his form.
However, he showed glimpses of resurgence in early 2026 when he ended a long wait for a T20I half‑century, smashing 82* off 37 balls in a successful chase against New Zealand. He could not continue this momentum going into the T20 World Cup 2026. Although he has shown a few glimpses of his prowess, he has struggled with consistently scoring with his bat. His strike rate has taken a hit at this T20 World Cup, scoring at less than 139 (stats till Feb 28).
Trent Boult
New Zealand cricketer Trent Boult had a remarkable season in IPL 2025, finishing as their leading wicket-taker, but countable appearances in T20 cricket have raised doubts over his performance. However, the Kiwi international continued to contribute with the ball in SA20 2025-26 for MI Cape Town, but he was expensive as compared to his past performances, thus putting him in the list of comparatively poor performers ahead of IPL 2026. He took just 8 wickets across 10 games for MI Cape Town at SA 2025/26.
