Former India stalwarts Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble shared strong opinions on Mumbai Indians’ underwhelming campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 so far, pointing towards the team’s overdependence on Jasprit Bumrah and the lack of confidence within the squad.
Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians, who have built a reputation over the years for bouncing back after poor starts, have looked far from their best this season. The side has struggled collectively, with neither the batting nor
the bowling unit managing to deliver consistently.
Former MI skipper Harbhajan Singh believes MI’s bowling attack has become too dependent on Bumrah, while the rest of the bowlers have failed to support the premier pacer.
“Jasprit Bumrah is the kind of bowler who can change a match at any moment. But relying too heavily on him is not the right thing to do. I think the other bowlers in the side, like Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar and Hardik Pandya, are all low on confidence,” Harbhajan said on JioStar.
The former spinner also highlighted Mumbai’s spin department as one of the major weak points in the squad.
“Mumbai Indians have depended on Bumrah ever since he came into the side, but at the moment, they are relying on him far too heavily. Somebody else also needs to pick up wickets. Spinners, too, are a concern. I think the biggest weakness of this side is the lack of quality local spinners. There used to be some good Indian spinners in the past, but there is no one at this point, and that is a major gap in the squad,” he continued.
Harbhajan, who spent several successful years with the franchise, admitted that the current body language of the team has been surprising and unlike anything he witnessed during his time with MI.
“The body language of Mumbai Indians, which also plays a big role, is something I have never seen like this before. I have been part of this team for nearly 10 years. Even when we were losing, like in the season where we lost five in a row, our body language was never flat, the will to fight back was always there," he continued.
Meanwhile, Anil Kumble echoed similar concerns regarding Mumbai’s overall performances and said the batting lineup has failed to compensate for the struggles of the bowlers.
“Jasprit Bumrah is the number one bowler, not just for Mumbai Indians, but for any team he plays for, and naturally, teams will depend on him. But when your bowlers are not doing well, then your second skill set, the batting, has to compensate a little, and that is not happening for Mumbai Indians,” Kumble stated on the same show.
The former India captain also pointed out the lack of intent and confidence in MI’s middle order.
“There is a visible lack of confidence, especially in the middle order. If you don’t show intent and fearlessness in this batting line-up, then where will you show it?,” claimed Kumble.
Despite MI’s disappointing run, Kumble still backed the franchise’s ability to bounce back, while admitting that the one-sided nature of their defeats has been the biggest concern this season.
“If any team can come back from a situation like this, it is them, they have done it in the past. But I think the manner of these losses is the major concern. Earlier, when they had slow starts to a season, they would still put up a fight and lose close games, but this time around, they are getting beaten comfortably, and that is worrying,” he concluded.
The Hardik Pandya-led side has been officially eliminated from the IPL 2026 after their loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Raipur on May 10.
