Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 17 (ANI): Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mahela Jayawardene has emphasized that the team’s poor performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is not due to one individual but rather a collective issue. The Hardik Pandya-led team suffered their fourth consecutive loss, falling to Punjab Kings (PBKS) by seven wickets on Thursday.
MI started their IPL campaign with a six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders but have since lost to Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and PBKS. Speaking after the match, Jayawardene acknowledged that the responsibility lies with everyone involved, including the coaching staff and management.
He stated, “It’s on every one of us when we are not doing well. It’s not an individual issue. We need to take accountability and work on improving as a team.” Jayawardene also noted that while MI is playing decent cricket, they are being outperformed by more clinical and confident opponents.
The coach added that the team needs to focus on key phases of the game and take collective responsibility to regain their rhythm and confidence. He expressed optimism about the team’s potential but stressed the importance of consistent improvement.
Regarding Rohit Sharma’s injury, which forced him to miss the match against PBKS, Jayawardene provided an update. Sharma has started running and is being monitored daily. The coach mentioned that while the injury isn’t serious, the team will take their time in assessing his return.
Meanwhile, Punjab Kings continued their strong form with a convincing seven-wicket win over MI at the Wankhede Stadium. This victory pushed PBKS to the top of the table, overtaking defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, while MI dropped to ninth place with just one win from five matches.
MI’s total of 195/6 was led by Quinton de Kock’s 112 and a strong partnership with Naman Dhir. Arshdeep Singh was the standout bowler for PBKS with three wickets. In response, PBKS chased down the target in 16.3 overs, with Prabhsimran Singh scoring an unbeaten 80 and Shreyas Iyer contributing 66. For MI, Allah Ghazanfar took two wickets but struggled to contain PBKS’s aggressive chase.