Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene refused to hide the team’s flaws after a humiliating defeat against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. MI were handed a 103-run thrashing at the hands of Ruturaj Gaikwad‘s men, their biggest ever at home. Jayawardene, speaking to the media at the post-match press conference, admitted to the ‘reality’ of his team: they simply haven’t been good enough in the first half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.
Jayawardene faced some tough questions while speaking to reporters after the match. MI had entered the contest on the back of a morale-boosting win, hoping to continue their momentum, but were blown apart by Sanju Samson‘s unbeaten hundred.
“I think the reality is that with four points after seven games, honestly, we haven’t played good cricket. It’s been in patches. We had a great game in Ahmedabad where I thought we found some rhythm, but again, we lost it,” Jayawardene said.
“Probably with this game, once you lose a match like that, it’s difficult to even analyse it. We lost both powerplays, with the ball and with the bat, and we just couldn’t get into the game. But as I said, we’ve got a little break now; it gives us some time to really sit down and think about what we need to do for the next seven matches. We know exactly what is required, and we’ll plan and put our best foot forward,” he added.
For the Mumbai Indians coach, the biggest concern has been the team’s bowling. He conceded that the unit has only performed well in patches, highlighting that MI have conceded the highest number of ‘big overs’ this season.
“If you analyse the seven games, yes, there was a hole in our bowling. We brought some fresh faces in; Ahmedabad looked good, and I thought we bowled well in patches here, too. It’s just execution and consistency. We are one of the teams that has conceded the highest number of big overs, 18-plus runs. When you give away 20-plus runs in an over, it puts us in a very bad position to even claw back into a game. These are areas we need to improve over the next seven matches,” said the former Sri Lanka captain.
Mahela Jayawardene On Hardik Pandya‘s Form
Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya has consistently underperformed this season with both bat and ball, failing to pick up wickets or contribute significant runs. However, Jayawardene was not keen on pointing fingers at individuals, focusing instead on collective corrections.
When asked about Hardik’s underwhelming performances or whether the captaincy was taking a toll, Jayawardene responded: “To be honest, I don’t think it’s a concern. He started well; in the first few games, he bowled really well. As I said, as a unit, we’ve struggled. It’s not just individuals, and I don’t want to name names. As a team, we haven’t been consistent. Usually, we are very good as a unit, but we haven’t picked up early wickets.
“We haven’t managed to control things in away conditions and similar situations. That is an overall issue. If you look at the batting as well, we have been good, but there have been patches where we haven’t been consistent. It’s not one individual; as a team, we all have to improve,” he further said.
Mumbai Indians now have a five-day break before they take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad at home on April 29.
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