Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has slammed Mumbai Indians, after the Hardik Pandya-led side picked up a shameful defeat against Chennai Super Kings on Saturday, May 2 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The Mumbai-based franchise failed to defend 160 runs, as the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side chased the target with 11 balls to spare and eight wickets in hand.
Ravi Shastri lambasts Mumbai Indians
After CSK's commanding win over MI, Ravi Shastri criticised the five-time IPL champions for their underwhelming performances so far in the season, saying that the team had unperformed despite having a strong team on paper. The 1983 World Cup winner also said that the team itself would feel the disappointment as they have not capitalised on their strength this season.
"The Mumbai Indians would be really dejected. Disappointing season. Well, if they really look themselves in the mirror, they would feel they haven’t played to potential one bit," said Shastri.
Mumbai Indians' rough IPL 2026 season
Mumbai Indians kicked off the season with a great note, securing a commanding win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their season opener, but things took a sharp turn afterwards. After nine games, the Hardik Pandya-led side secured only two wins. The Mumbai-based franchise sit at ninth place with just four points in hand at a net run rate of -0.803.
After a shameful defeat against CSK, MI's playoff hopes look very slim. With seven defeats already and five games left, even winning all remaining games would help them reach just 12 points, which is not likely to be enough for sealing qualification.
The Hardik Pandya-led side will lock horns against Rishabh Pant's Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their upcoming IPL 2026 clash on Monday, May 4 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. It will be interesting to see if MI can finish the remaining games on a positive note.