Mumbai Indians’ struggles in IPL 2026 continued as they suffered a fourth defeat in five matches, going down to Punjab Kings by 7 wickets at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. MI put up 195 on the board, but PBKS chased it down with ease in just 16.3 overs, with Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer leading the charge in a dominant batting display.
For Mumbai, the biggest concern remains Jasprit Bumrah’s wicketless run. The ace pacer has now gone through the season without a breakthrough and was once again expensive, conceding 41 runs in his four overs against the Punjab Kings.
Despite the numbers, former India spinner and ex-CSK all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin came out in support of Bumrah, saying the burden cannot be placed on one bowler alone.
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“When the bowler of the first over is taken for boundaries, the ball hits the advertisement boards, which take the shine off the ball,” Ravichandran Ashwin explained. “And if the new ball is hit to the advertisement boards a couple of times, Bumrah won’t be able to swing the ball in the following over,” he added.
Ashwin stressed that judging Bumrah only by wickets or economy does not tell the full story.
“It is easy to say Bumrah leaked 40 runs today too and move on, but you need to be a bowler to understand this. He is in a tough spot. He has to stop the flow of runs and pick the wickets all by himself. 24 deliveries aren’t enough to do both,” he said. “Despite his lack of wickets, he has bowled well in at least three outings. But since he is wicketless, the good showings get forgotten.”
He also pointed out that Bumrah’s figures are being hurt by the pressure around him.
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“Please understand that it only becomes an issue if the bowler leaks more than the run rate in the game. But since the entire unit around him is collapsing, he seems a little less polished too. If the MI bowling unit picks up the slack, Bumrah will look back to his shiny best. It is a team game and others will also have to take accountability.”
