Mumbai Indians Urged to Reduce Dependence on Jasprit Bumrah After Third Straight Defeat
Mumbai — Five-time Indian Premier League champions Mumbai Indians have been urged to rethink their strategy after a string of disappointing performances, with former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis warning that the team must reduce its over-reliance on star pacer Jasprit Bumrah if they are to regain consistency in the tournament.
Mumbai Indians, traditionally known for slow starts in IPL seasons, have now suffered three consecutive defeats after winning their opening match. Their latest setback came against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where they conceded a massive 240 runs and failed to complete the chase, exposing weaknesses in both their bowling and batting departments.
Despite Bumrah being their key bowling weapon, the pacer has yet to take a wicket in four matches, raising concerns over MI’s overall bowling balance and effectiveness.
Speaking to Star Sports, du Plessis highlighted the need for smarter utilization of Bumrah rather than relying on him to control all phases of the game.
“When you look at that bowling attack, especially in high-scoring games of 250 or more, you have to assess what the rest of the attack is conceding beyond Bumrah’s four overs, which are usually very economical. That’s where Mumbai Indians need to find answers,” he said.
He further stressed that MI must use Bumrah more strategically during key phases of the innings while ensuring the rest of the attack steps up. According to him, opposition batting line-ups have become too strong for teams to depend on a single match-winner.
“They need to maximise Bumrah’s impact by using him at key stages, but it doesn’t get any easier with strong batting line-ups continuing to dominate,” du Plessis added, calling for a tactical reassessment of their bowling approach, especially in the Powerplay.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar also weighed in on MI’s struggles, pointing out issues in both batting and bowling during the Powerplay overs. He noted that Mumbai Indians repeatedly fall short of required scoring benchmarks and struggle to maintain the necessary run rate early in the innings.
“They needed to score at least 12 runs more to stay on track with the required rate, but they couldn’t manage that,” Gavaskar said, adding that both departments have failed to take control during crucial phases of the game.
With mounting pressure after three consecutive losses, MI now face growing scrutiny over their strategies, particularly their dependence on Bumrah and their inability to execute effectively in the Powerplay. The franchise will be hoping for a swift turnaround as the tournament progresses.
