MI head coach blames entire bowling unit for Jasprit Bumrah's wicketless run in IPL 2026
Published - 17 Apr 2026, 11:37 AM | Updated - 17 Apr 2026, 11:56 AM
Jasprit Bumrah was one of the finest performers in India’s 2026 T20 World Cup triumph. For the IPL 2026 season, the Mumbai Indians (MI) have high hopes for their marquee pacer. But shockingly, the pacer is yet to take his first wicket in the ongoing campaign for MI.
With 4 defeats on a trot, MI is now at the 9th position in the 10-team league; they are only ahead of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the points table. After the Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings (MI vs PBKS) match on April 16, MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene was asked about Jasprit Bumrah’s wicketless run.
Mumbai Indians coach explained the wicketless run of Jasprit Bumrah in IPL 2026
In the post-match press conference, backing the star Indian pacer, the former Sri Lanka batter accused the entire bowling line-up as they have failed to deliver as per the plans. Jayawardene refused to say that Bumrah is going through a bad patch.
The MI head coach stated that the team had not performed according to their tactics, failing to take wickets in the powerplays. According to the former International batter’s explanation, the pressure is mounting on Jasprit Bumrah’s shoulder as he is not getting enough support from the other bowlers in the line-up. Along with the seamer, Mumbai has two other quality bowlers in the form of Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar. In the power plays, the team has mostly remained ineffective so far, which puts them on the wrong foot.
Mahela Jayawardene blamed the entire bowling line-up
“Yeah, I mean, I think Booms (Jasprit Bumrah) is bowling well; it's just that we're not putting pressure in the powerplay. They know they don't need to take too much risk against Booms, and while we've tried a few different things, which he is trying as well, the opposition is batting well,” the head coach of MI told the reporters on Tuesday.
“I can't quite put a finger on it and say he hasn't taken wickets for a specific reason, but as a unit, we've lacked that penetration on different surfaces. That is something we need to work on,” he added.
Jayawardene further emphasized the multiple injury issues they have to sustain, which have reduced the strength of the squad by some margins. He believes that Bumrah will be back in form soon, and then he is expected to be unstoppable.
Jayawardane is hoping to see a full-flowing Bumrah soon
“I think once he starts taking wickets, we might not be able to stop him, so we just need to back that. He's not the only bowler in our attack; we've got other quality bowlers, and we just need to come together as a group. We've had quite a few unfortunate injuries and illnesses within the camp, so we haven't been able to get everyone to the park. Hopefully, we can get those guys out there consistently now,” he said.
Mumbai Indians’ next match will be on April 20 (Monday) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad when they will have to face the Gujarat Titans.
About the Author
