Mumbai Indians The five-time champions endured a forgettable IPL 2026, battling dressing room turmoil throughout the season. Dressing room unrest is nothing new though. As TimesofIndia.com reported earlier, the franchise has struggled ever since. Hardik Pandya Took over the captaincy Rohit Sharma. But more than anxiety, the constant flow of dressing room ‘leaks’ has frustrated key figures within the franchise. Even industry insiders are surprised at how things have unfolded in recent seasons and how the sanctity of the dressing room has been permanently undermined. “There are differences in almost every dressing room, but the division and bitterness at Mumbai Indians is unusually high after Hardik returned. It doesn’t take an expert to see what’s going on, but for a franchise like Mumbai (Indians), which has always valued its core group, the constant leaks are a major concern. That’s a strong word, but it’s the truth. This dressing room has seen legends, captaincy changes and more, but this has never happened,” said a source following the developments.Over the past three seasons, leaks have spiked, with sensitive information — conversations in team meetings and strategic discussions about key players — spreading rapidly. The immediate focus may be to plug those leaks, before the top brass leads the way. An ’emoji episode’-like approach is possible, as Mumbai Indians want to avoid more private matters becoming public.“These things are not right with the management. There was a lot of public drama after some players posted emojis on social media, and it hasn’t stopped since. Whether it’s the visible division in the dressing room, the body language on the field, or the way they play, the problems are obvious. If players think they can take MI for a ride, they need to think again. The priorities are clearly not correct. The players are taking a long time to get back into action, and everyone seems to be marking the attendance,” added the source.Ever since Mumbai Indians crashed out of playoff contention, questions have been raised about the leadership. But that alone hasn’t led to the franchise’s decline in recent seasons. Tough decisions are expected in the coming months after senior players return from their breaks and international commitments. There are a number of issues going on, but the dressing room leaks will be addressed first. It is understood that the management has identified the problem and is ready to work hard to restore the glory days of the franchise. Some tough negotiations are expected with some of the star players to reset the house.
