Mumbai Indians (MI) pacer Jasprit Bumrah is currently going through a rough patch in IPL 2026. Bumrah is yet to pick even a single wicket after having played all five matches for MI, making this his longest-ever run in the IPL without taking a wicket.
In the Mumbai Indians' match against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Thursday, Jasprit Bumrah endured figures of 0/41 from four overs.
Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene has defended the Gujarat pacer despite his wicketless run so far. He, however, said that the MI pacers haven't been able to put pressure in the power play.
Mahela Jayawardene on Jasprit Bumrah
"Yeah, I mean, I think 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," Jayawardene said after the match.
"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 issued a stern warning to opposition teams, saying that once Bumrah starts taking wickets, he will become unstoppable.
"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 on the park. Hopefully, we can get those guys out there consistently now," the former Sri Lanka captain explained.
The five-time champions are languishing in ninth place in the IPL 2026 standings with just two points from five matches.
Mumbai Indians began their campaign with a six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders, but have lost four consecutive matches ever since. Mumbai Indians will next taken on Hardik Pandya's former side Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on Monday (20 April).
