Mumbai Indians pacer Jasprit Bumrah has gone wicketless in first 4 matches of the IPL 2026 season with his team losing 3 out of 4 games so far.
Updated: April 13, 2026 5:01 PM IST
MI vs RCB IPL 2026: Five-time winners Mumbai Indians slumped to their third defeat of the IPL 2026 season in four matches, losing by 18 runs to defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. One of the biggest concerns for Hardik Pandya’s side is in their bowling department, after conceding 240 runs against RCB with their premier bowler Jasprit Bumrah going wicketless again.
Bumrah, who was retained for Rs 18 crore ahead of IPL 2026 season, has claimed 183 wickets in 149 matches in this T20 league. But former South Africa and RCB captain Faf du Plessis believes it is not time for MI to look beyond Bumrah’s four overs in the match.
Speaking on Star Sports’ ‘Amul Cricket Live’, JioStar expert Faf du Plessis analysed MI’s bowling unit. “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.
“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. They will need to sit down and reassess their approach, particularly in the Powerplay, whether that involves tactical changes or bringing in different personnel,” Du Plessis added.
Hitman setting the tone @ImRo45 & Mumbai Indians are off to a flyer.#IPLRivalryWeek 2026 #MIvRCB | LIVE NOW https://t.co/gLbf9ggQbu | #TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/r5RIzQCXB7
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 12, 2026
JioStar expert Sunil Gavaskar claimed that MI’s bowling as well batting in the Powerplay overs left a lot to be desired after the loss to RCB. “At one stage, it looked like Mumbai Indians would struggle to reach 200. After Rohit Sharma’s retirement and the dismissals of Rickelton and Tilak Varma in the same over, they went into a shell and were unable to break free. They needed to score at least 12 runs more to stay on track with the required rate, but they couldn’t manage that. Even while rotating strike, the required rate kept climbing. That is an area they need to address. As Hardik Pandya mentioned, both their batting and bowling Powerplays are not yielding the kind of results needed to take control of the game,” Gavaskar said.
On RCB captain Rajat Patidar, who smashed an explosive fifty vs Mumbai Indians, Gavaskar said, “Last year, leading RCB for the first time, Rajat Patidar may have had some nerves, especially with players like Virat Kohli in the side. That could have impacted him. This season, after winning the championship, he looks far more settled and confident. He is playing with complete freedom and producing some outstanding cricket. The range of shots he is displaying across the ground has been particularly impressive.”
