Rohit Sharma (Source: AFP)
There was a time when Mumbai Indians weren’t just winning trophies, they were writing the IPL playbook. Back in 2020, they had everything sorted. It was like watching a well-oiled machine where every cog knew its job.
But cricket doesn’t wait for anyone, especially T20 cricket. Blink, and the game moves ahead. And right now, it feels like Mumbai Indians blinked for just a secondand suddenly found themselves two steps behind.
IPL 2026 isn’t about control anymore. It is about chaos. It is about batters coming out swinging like there is no tomorrow. And somewhere in this madness, MI still look like they are playing a slightly older version of the game.
The powerplay storm MI never saw coming
Let’s get one thing straight. Powerplays used to be about setting the base. You go at 8–9 an over, keep wickets in hand, and build from there. But that template is now gone. Now, teams are going hammer and tongs right from ball one. We are talking 90s and even 100+ in the first six overs.
And MI? They are not exactly failing, but they are not setting the tone either. Scores like 55–65 in the powerplay might look decent on paper, but in IPL 2026, that is not going to cut it.
That is the difference. Others are dictating, MI are reacting. Against RCB, on Monday, the five-time IPL champions scored a decent 62/0. But while it was considered brilliant a few years ago, it’s just nowhere near the modern cricketing template.
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The comfort zone that turned into quicksand
Now here is the tricky part. MI didn’t mess up by backing their core. No team in their right mind lets go of players like Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah. These guys are match-winners on their worst day.
But here is where the plot thickens. In trying to hold on to their pillars, MI lost a bit of their future. Letting go of Ishan Kishan and Tim David didn’t just weaken the squad, it quietly changed the team’s DNA.
Kishan brought that fearless, see-ball-hit-ball energy at the top. David brought brute force at the death. The kind of player who makes bowlers second-guess their lengths. Right now, MI are missing both those flavours. The spark up top and the explosion at the end.
Firepower missing in a six-hitting league
Take a look around the league. Young guns are playing cricket like it’s a video game on easy mode.
Players like Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and Priyansh Arya are striking at 180–200 and making it look like a net session. No fear, no baggage, just pure intent.
Now compare that with MI’s approach. Their batters are still classy. Still technically solid. But the tempo? It is just a notch below what the game demands today.
In a league where 225 is becoming the new 180, you can’t afford to play catch-up. You either lead the charge or get left in the dust.
The death overs where games slip away
Remember the days when MI used to shut games like a shop at midnight? Once they got to the last five overs, it was curtains.
That was the Kieron Pollard effect. A proper finisher. A guy who could turn a good score into a match-winning one with a few clean hits.
Right now, MI don’t have that safety net. No one consistently striking at 200+ in the death. No one making bowlers panic. Meanwhile, players like Tim David are doing exactly that for their teams. That gap in finishing? It’s not small. It’s massive.
Experience is no longer the trump card
For years, experience was MI’s biggest strength. Big-match players. Calm heads. Game awareness. They thrived under pressure. But the last couple of years have changed the script.
Now it’s about fearless kids who don’t care about reputations. They are not looking at names. They are looking at the ball and sending it into the stands.
MI’s core still plays smart cricket. But the league has moved to aggressive cricket. There is a thin line between being composed and being conservative. And right now, MI are walking that line a bit too slowly.
Still a champion team, but in the wrong timeline
Make no mistake. Individually, MI’s stars are still top-tier.
Jasprit Bumrah can still win you games out of nowhere. Hardik Pandya is still a proper all-round package. Suryakumar Yadav can still play shots that don’t exist in coaching manuals. And Rohit Sharma still knows how to anchor an innings.
But here is the harsh truth. T20 isn’t about individuals anymore. It is about how fast your team moves as a unit. And right now, MI look like a champion team playing in the wrong timeline.
The way forward
This isn’t a lost cause. Far from it. If there is one team that knows how to bounce back from the brink, it is Mumbai Indians. They have done it before, and they can do it again.
But they need to tweak a few things. They need more intent in the powerplay. They need their finishers to come good. And most importantly, they need to embrace the new-age T20 mindset.
Because in today’s IPL, it’s simple:
You don’t evolve… you get left behind.
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