Cricket: Mumbai Indians Struggle as Bumrah’s Dry Spell Continues

Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene has backed Jasprit Bumrah despite his recent struggles. The star pace bowler hasn’t taken a wicket in five straight Indian Premier League (IPL) matches, including their latest loss to Punjab Kings by seven wickets.

Once IPL champions, Mumbai has had a tough time this season. After winning their first match for the first time since 2012, they’ve lost four games in a row and now sit ninth in the league of ten teams. Jayawardene admitted he couldn’t pinpoint why Bumrah hasn’t been effective but noted that opposing teams are playing more cautiously against him.

“I think Bumrah is bowling well—it’s just we’re not creating enough pressure during the powerplay,” Jayawardene said. He added, “I can’t say why he isn’t taking wickets, but as a team, we need to improve our performance on different pitch conditions.”

Despite his struggles, Jayawardene remains confident in Bumrah. “He bowled well earlier and just hasn’t been lucky. Once he starts taking wickets, I think opponents won’t be able to stop him,” the coach said.

Meanwhile, Punjab Kings’ Shreyas Iyer hit a strong 66 off 35 balls to lead his team to an easy win. Jayawardene acknowledged Mumbai’s lack of clinical play at crucial moments and admitted their opponents are outperforming them.

Mumbai captain Hardik Pandya also hinted at the need for change. “We might have to make some tough decisions to turn things around,” he said, adding, “These are hard questions we need to answer.”

The team is under pressure to improve quickly if they hope to bounce back in the IPL.