The Mumbai Indians (MI) weren’t woeful against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). They remained competitive for 30 of the 40 overs. In fact, most saw them as favourites after they posted 243 against SRH. Yes, some believed they left a few runs in the middle, and that proved to be right, but at that exact moment, a target of 244 seemed adequate.
MI’s struggles in IPL 2026
The toss would’ve hurt Mumbai. But, at this juncture, they can’t do much. On paper, they looked mighty. But Jasprit Bumrah hasn’t been in form. Perhaps he isn’t 100% physically. MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene did say that he had a niggle early on. Rohit Sharma is unavailable due to a hamstring injury, and he was one of MI’s best batters before he was sidelined.
Suryakumar Yadav’s been out of form. Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar just haven’t picked up wickets in the powerplay. Shardul Thakur and Mayank Markande, who were acquired via trade, have been major disappointments. Will Jacks wasn’t available for the first 6 matches either.
No need to change the team vs CSK
All’s gone wrong. But MI seemed to have finally cracked the code in the SRH game. Jacks opened the batting with Ryan Rickelton, and for the first time in weeks, Mumbai had a great powerplay. Despite Naman Dhir, Suryakumar, and Tilak Varma not doing much, MI posted a big total.
The bowling underperformed. Boult returned but didn’t strike early. However, one should remember that Travis Head was dropped off his bowling early on. Bumrah and Ashwani had off days, but Pandya bowled well. MI has used 22 players. They’ve tried everything, but nothing has stuck.
The team in the SRH game looked like one that could compete and win. And that’s what they must stick with. It isn’t the best side in the IPL, but it’s the best they’ve got. The result isn’t always indicative of the process or the ability. Mumbai isn’t out of the playoffs just yet. They’ve made a miraculous final run several times before. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) know this very well, even though they beat them by 103 runs a week ago.
Predicted MI Playing XI vs CSK
| S. No. | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Rickelton✈️(wk) | Wicketkeeper |
| 2 | Will Jacks✈️ | Batting all-rounder |
| 3 | Naman Dhir | Top-order batter |
| 4 | Suryakumar Yadav | Middle-order batter |
| 5 | Tilak Varma | Middle-order batter |
| 6 | Hardik Pandya (c) | All-rounder |
| 7 | Robin Minz | Wicketkeeper batter |
| 8 | Allah Ghazanfar✈️ | Mystery spinner |
| 9 | Trent Boult✈️ | Left-arm fast bowler |
| 10 | Jasprit Bumrah | Right-arm fast bowler |
| 11 | Ashwani Kumar | Left-arm fast bowler |
| Impact Sub | Krish Bhagat/ Raghu Sharma/ Raj Bawa |
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