IPL 2026: Bowling woes threaten MI campaign as Bumrah struggles without support

MUMBAI: Jasprit Bumrah's wait to open his account this season is now beginning to hurt Mumbai India’s campaign in IPL 2026.

The 31-year-old premier pacer's barren run stayed intact against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday night, as he went for 0-35 in four overs in MI's 18-run loss. Across his five games, in which he has bowled 122 deliveries, Bumrah is yet to take a wicket for MI. This season, he has bowled 15 overs across four matches, and while he has given away just 123 runs, there is nothing to show in the wickets column.




Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

The sequence of Bumrah's performance in the last five IPL innings reads: 0/40 (4 overs) vs PBKS, Ahmedabad, 2025, 0/35 (4) vs KKR, Wankhede, 2026, 0/21 (4) vs DC, Delhi, 2026, 0/32 (3) vs RR, Guwahati, 2026, 0/35 (4) vs RCB, Wankhede, 2026.

However, MI's bowling woes aren't about Bumrah's wicketless run. While the ‘strike bowler’ hasn't been able to strike, his economy rate of 8.20 is still the best amongst the bowlers.

The five-time IPL champions have taken just 14 wickets in four matches in IPL 2026. There is not a single MI bowler among the top ten wicket-takers this season. On Sunday, RCB's rampaging batters took them to the cleaners while putting up 240 for four. In previous matches too, teams have scored freely against them - Kolkata Knight Riders notched up 220 for four at the Wankhede Stadium in the opener, Delhi Capitals chased down 163 in 18.1 overs, while Rajasthan Royals raced away to 150/3 in just 11 overs.

In the past, Trent Boult has been one of the IPL's most successful bowlers in the powerplay overs, delivering blows with the new ball on a consistent basis and forming a lethal partnership with Bumrah. However, the seasoned New Zealand left-arm paceman, who has taken 146 wickets in 123 matches across 12 seasons, has looked a pale shadow of himself, having taken just one wicket in three matches@110.00, at an economy rate of 12.22.

Mumbai captain Shardul Thakur has been MI's top wicket-taker this season - five wickets in four matches@29.60 - but he has leaked runs at 13.45 per over.

Highlighting this point of lack of support in MI for Bumrah, India's off-spin great Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube show, "It would be unfair to blame Bumrah for the lack of wickets. It's a team game, and in T20 cricket, wickets come through sustained pressure. If you look at Krunal Pandya (1 for 26) and Suyash Sharma (2 for 47), they picked up wickets because there was pressure from Bhuvneshwar Kumar at the other end. Bumrah hasn't had that kind of support."

Sherfane Rutherford, who smashed nine sixes in a 31-ball 71 not out while playing as an 'Impact Player' on his MI debut on Sunday, said at the post-match press conference on Sunday, "It's definitely not a concern, to be honest. The opposition have batted well, and I think we need to give credit where it's due. As I said, it's just small margins for us-maybe a couple of field changes here or there-but I don't think it has much to do with our bowlers. It's more about executing better and continuing to improve."

After they suffered their third defeat in a row in IPL 2026, following their jinx-breaking win in the season opener against Kolkata Knight Riders, MI captain Hardik Pandya said, "I think in the last couple of games, as a bowling unit or even as a batting unit, we've been quite catching up in the game rather than leading the game. We really need to reflect, really need to see what best we can do and how we can get that momentum and that click which we require. We have a couple of days off from here and we will play again,"

"Yeah, definitely not the best start, but as I said, it's not how you start, it's how you move forward. It's about how we take the learnings. We need to go back to the drawing board, focus on the small margins, and come back stronger as a team. We're a good side, and three games don't make us a bad one. It's a 14-game season, and there's still a long way to go," Rutherford said.

On the eve of their big-ticket game against RCB, Mumbai Indians' batting coach Kieron Pollard had brushed aside concerns about Bumrah's lack of wickets. "For us, it's about coming together as one and getting the desired result at the end of the day. Otherwise, you start looking into different things and creating narratives that aren't really there. For us, he's fine: he's fit, he's firing. And for your sake, I hope he picks up five wickets tomorrow," Pollard had said.

That ‘tomorrow’ for MI’s sake, needs to come soon, before it’s too late.
Stay updated with the latest IPL Live Score, IPL news on Times of India. Follow the IPL Schedule, check the IPL Points Table, and track the race for the IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple Cap.