Raipur, 11 May (H.S.): Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s two‑wicket victory over Mumbai Indians at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium has ended Mumbai’s chances of reaching the playoffs in IPL 2026, dashing the five‑time champions’ hopes of lifting the title this season.

Speaking after the match, head coach Mahela Jayawardene admitted that his side had failed to deliver a performance anywhere near expectations, struggling to sustain consistency with both bat and ball across the campaign.

Jayawardene described the 2026 edition as “disappointing,” acknowledging that the team let slip two or three wins that could have kept them in the playoff race. “There are many ‘if‑onlys’, but the truth is we simply weren’t good enough,” he said, pointing to a clear lack of continuity in both batting and bowling.

He added that the team often appeared to be executing only fragments of their plans rather than a cohesive strategy, and that the gap between preparation and match‑day performance had proved costly.

The most talked‑about phase of the contest was the final over, entrusted to young all‑rounder Raj Angad Bawa, who was facing the last‑over spotlight for the first time in his four‑season IPL career. Bawa began with a wide followed by a no‑ball, briefly reviving the contest when he dismissed Romario Shepherd on the third delivery.

However, a second wide and then a soaring six from Bhuvneshwar Kumar sealed the win for Bengaluru, leaving the field‑setting and captaincy decisions under intense scrutiny.

Jayawardene defended the call, explaining that all of Mumbai’s frontline bowlers had already used their full quota of overs, and the options were limited. “We had a few spinners left, but we chose to back Bawa,” he said. “In practice, he bowls tight yorkers and can handle pressure; we wanted to trust his temperament, even though he made a couple of mistakes in the heat of the moment.”

Batting first, Mumbai Indians posted 166 for 7, a total Jayawardene felt could have been pushed to the 170–180 range with better application in the middle overs. He highlighted the 50‑plus stand between Naman Dhir and Tilak Varma, which broke down in the 14th and 15th overs, as the key turning point in the innings.

“We were building a partnership there,” he said. “If those wickets hadn’t fallen at that stage, we could have added another 15–20 runs. That small window made a big difference in the context of the match.”

Jayawardene also revealed that the side spent much of the season reshaping itself around injuries, which repeatedly upset the side’s balance. Rohit Sharma missed six matches with a hamstring injury, Hardik Pandya was hampered by back issues, and Mitchell Santner eventually succumbed to a shoulder problem.

“People might think we kept changing the team, but most of those changes were forced,” he said. “The injuries and unavailability of key players kept tilting our balance, and it was hard to find a stable combination. That, in turn, affected our rhythm.”

Despite growing criticism over their poor form, Jayawardene stood by both Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, who have struggled to produce their best this season. Suryakumar has scored just 195 runs in 11 innings, while Hardik has managed 146 runs in eight knocks, with only four wickets to his name.

“They’re trying their absolute hardest,” Jayawardene insisted. “There is no questioning their effort or commitment. This is the same core group that lifted the World Cup, and we have to keep believing in our key players, even when results are not in their favour.”

In his closing remarks, the coach underscored that the failure was not just individual, but collective: “We have moved forward with trust in this group, but as a unit, we were not good enough this season.” With playoff qualification now out of reach, Mumbai’s immediate task is to finish the remaining matches competitively, hoping at least to avoid a last‑place finish in the 10‑team table.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar