Mumbai Indians managed to stay mathematically alive in IPL 2026 on Monday, but the writing is on the wall for the five-time champions as they face another season – fourth in the last six years – without making the playoffs. The body language of the players and support staff reflects the long and painful summer the franchise has endured.For a team that has struggled to win just three of ten games, minute fine-tuning won’t help. A full review of the dressing room – which hasn’t been the hottest place since Hardik Pandya took over as captain. Rohit Sharma – is required. It is understood that the management was happy to be patient after the initial turmoil following the change of captaincy, but patience is not their best friend at the moment, as another wooden spoon finish in IPL 2026 looms large.MI benefited from BCCI’s new retention policy ahead of the 2025 mega auction, which allowed them to retain their ‘core’: Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma and Tilak Verma. Even other teams used maximum retention slots, but MI were probably the only franchise that could sit at the auction table knowing that they had half of their playing XI.So what went wrong for a team that boasts of superstars, leaders and four players who have led India at some point?‘Team’ is the key word here as it is understood that the franchise is still reeling from a volatile dressing room after the change of captaincy and has consistently struggled to present a united front. For a team that prides itself on winning games from anywhere, a great “team performance” has been missing for a few seasons now. There are flashes of individual talent, but they are not enough to add a sixth title to the cabinet.Even after the management made it clear that Hardik is the captain for the foreseeable future, some are either holding on to captaincy ambitions or promoting younger players to take over. A senior player has been managing an unknown injury for a couple of seasons, and some are happy to take it easy, even if it means missing nearly a month of competitive cricket. Constant rumors that the “core” group isn’t getting along are hurting the team atmosphere.On paper, there is no dearth of superstars and utility players in the MI camp in IPL 2026, but they have emerged strategically as the think tank still struggles to determine its ideal playing XI. Constant injuries haven’t helped, nor has inconsistency from the ‘core’.Tilak, who is strongly tipped as the future leader of the franchise, had just one 400-plus run season in five editions. His good friend Surya Kumar Yadav had a phenomenal 2025 but carried his poor international form into IPL 2026, sitting on just 195 runs in 10 innings. Two key pieces in the middle order not firing didn’t help, nor did Hardik Pandya have a great return with the bat – 146 runs in eight innings.Rohit Sharma had a brilliant start to the season before a hamstring injury ruled him out for almost a month. Yet its inconsistency is not recent. The right-hander’s only 500-plus run season for the franchise came in the 2013 edition.MI takes great pride in retaining its players for as long as possible, but with the rapid development of the game, the think tank needs to do better to stay a step ahead. Convinced of his methods, he entered last year’s Mini Auction with a much smaller purse. He seemed happy with the players at his disposal and supported his strategies – a powerplay dominated by swing and a left-arm fast bowler. However, the reality hit them hard as the opposition batsmen dismissed Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult with ease. Even Jasprit Bumrah’s skills disappeared as there was no support for the world’s premier fast bowler.The next mega-auction is an opportunity for the franchise to iron out mistakes at the auction table, but the immediate need is to put the house in order and restore normality in the dressing room. Healthy changes are needed now, and now is the time for management to make a tough call on players whose personal interests and ambitions do not contribute to the team’s cause.
