Mumbai, May 23 (IANS) At the start of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, Mumbai Indians banked on seasoned players Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah to carry them towards their sixth title — especially the India pacer, who had played a key role in the country’s triumph in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup earlier this year. But that did not happen.

Rohit Sharma, the most successful batter and captain in the IPL, was expected to provide MI with great starts and started off his campaign with a fifty in their opening match.

But as the five-time title winners get ready for their final league match against the Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium, Rohit Sharma and Bumrah have had inconsistent campaigns, contributing to the team’s failure.

On Saturday, Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene spoke about what has been happening with both veteran players. He said both have struggled with niggles and injuries, which have hampered their performances. Rohit missed a number of matches due to injury concerns and has amassed just 283 runs in 8 matches. The former MI skipper was diagnosed with a hamstring injury, which hampered his progress. There have also been instances when the legend has been relegated to the bench and used as an impact sub.

Jayawardene said the playing XI is decided by taking various factors into consideration and what will work for the team on that given day. He added that Rohit Sharma understands that principle and accepts it.

“To be honest, I don’t think about the Indian team or what their requirements are when I am assembling a team for the Mumbai Indians. I set it up, and Rohit understands that he is a team player. He understands what is required for the Mumbai Indians, and we go about it. Yes, he had a hamstring injury. We gave him the time that he needed to recover, and then he came back. We were cautious even with his batting, the way he was running, because he had to adapt slowly, gradually coming back into it,” said Jayawardene.

About Bumrah, Jayawardene said the pacer did not get enough time to recover after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in February -March this year. Bumrah has managed just four wickets in 13 matches for the Mumbai Indians.

“It is due to a combination of a few things. Coming back from the (T20) World Cup, he had a slight niggle which he played with through the World Cup, so we gave him adequate rest to come back,” said Jayawardene.

About Bumrah’s reduced pace in the early stages of the campaign, Jayawardene said that it was because Bumrah was going through a gradual build-up.

–IANS

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