Cometh the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the five-time champions, Mumbai Indians (MI) already have their eyes on the prize – a record sixth title. While it has been years since MI last lifted the title, their performance have garnered a lot of concerns, especially since Hardik Pandya took over the reins from Rohit Sharma.
But as they will hope to let go of their past performances and bring back their A-game, here in this article, we have listed some key problems that the franchise might face. Ahead of the IPL 2026 season, let’s take a look at three weaknesses which might be troubling the MI side.
3 Weaknesses in Mumbai Indians (MI) camp ahead of IPL 2026
Lack of experienced Indian wicketkeeper
One of the key concerns in the MI camp is the lack of an experienced Indian wicketkeeper. Historically, MI has relied heavily on young talents and overseas stars for the wicketkeeping role, but the absence of an experienced Indian keeper could bring in challenges. They are relied to play an overseas player just for wicket-keeping duty. Although they have Robin Minz, but he isn’t an experienced player yet.
With MI’s top and middle order already featuring a few players in transition, they have Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock as their main wicketkeeping options. But having a reliable Indian keeper could help in providing flexibility in team combinations.
Spin bowling depth concerns
Another concern which might be hampering MI’s quest for a record sixth IPL title is depth in the spin bowling department. While the Mumbai-based franchise has Mitchell Santner as their frontline spinner, and Afghanistan’s Allah Ghazanfar could also be used in some conditions, they don’t have an Indian masterful spinners that they can play without spoiling the team combinations.
Although Mayank Markande, Atharava Ankolekar and Mayank Rawat are other options, they lack experience in high-pressure games. Rawat is basically a finisher who can roll his arm over, while Ankolekar seems to have been ruled out of the IPL 2026.
Over-reliance on key star players
One of the most prominent and widely discussed weaknesses in the MI squad is the over-reliance on key star players. MI has historically depended heavily on established performers like Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and few others to deliver match-winning performances. While these players provide stability and firepower, any dip in form or injury can severely impact the team’s performance.
Similarly, in the bowling department, the team heavily leans on Jasprit Bumrah to control the death overs, making the bowling attack vulnerable if he is unavailable or out of form. Deepak Chahar can leak runs; Trent Boult doesn’t have the age on his side. So, it is Bumrah or nothing for MI.
MI IPL 2026 Squad
Batters: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Robin Minz, Sherfane Rutherford, Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock, Danish Malewar, Tilak Varma
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Raj Angad Bawa, Atharva Ankolekar, Mayank Rawat, Corbin Bosch, Will Jacks, Shardul Thakur
Bowlers: Trent Boult, Mayank Markande, Deepak Chahar, Ashwani Kumar, Raghu Sharma, Mohammad Izhar, Allah Ghazanfar, Jasprit Bumrah.
