Mumbai Indians' Body Language Questioned By Ex-Captain After IPL Exit: "Have Been Part Of The Team For 10 Years"
Mumbai Indians have been knocked out of the IPL 2026 playoff race. This is the fourth time in six years that MI have not qualified for the playoffs
- Mumbai Indians were eliminated from IPL 2026 playoffs after losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru
- This is the fourth time in six years that Mumbai Indians failed to qualify for IPL playoffs
- Harbhajan Singh criticised Mumbai Indians' body language and lack of confidence in bowlers
Mumbai Indians have been knocked out of the IPL 2026 playoff race. This is the fourth time in six years that MI have not qualified for the playoffs. After a disastrous start to the IPL 2026 campaign, Mumbai Indians were officially knocked out after a two-wicket loss to defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday. Krunal Pandya's gritty 73 and Bhuvneshwar Kumar's all-round heroics (4/23, 7 not out) powered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a nervy two-wicket victory and knocked Mumbai Indians out of the race for the IPL playoffs here on Sunday. The win took RCB to the top of the Indian Premier League table with 14 points from 11 matches.
In a low-scoring, attritional contest, fortunes swung from one side to the other, but RCB got over the line on the final ball, scoring two off it.
The defending champions made the required 15 runs off the final over bowled by Raj Bawa, including a six from Bhuvneshwar, while also losing the last recognised batter in the form of Romario Shepherd (4). RCB kept fighting after being reduced to 39 for three, and eventually finished with 167 for eight in reply to MI's 166/7.
"The body language of the Mumbai Indians, which also plays a big role, is something I have never seen like this before," Harbhajan Singh, who captained MI in 30 matches, said on JioStar.
"I have been part of this team for nearly 10 years. Even when we were losing, like in the season where we lost five in a row, our body language was never flat; the will to fight back was always there. Right now, that confidence is missing."
"Somebody needs to lead the way and say, 'Whatever has happened is in the past. How we change things from here will depend on how we react in the field.' It starts with one person, someone who needs to step up as that leader and take the team forward," he added.
Singh said bowlers like Boult, Chahar and Pandya lacked confidence.
"Jasprit Bumrah is the kind of bowler who can change a match at any moment. But relying too heavily on him is not the right thing to do. I think the other bowlers in the side, like Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar and Hardik Pandya, are all low on confidence," Harbhajan said.
Mumbai Indians
Hardik Pandya
Harbhajan Singh