Mumbai Indians (MI) will work hard to capture their 6th Indian Premier League (IPL) title. On paper their squad looks like a strong war machine that is ready to conquer the battlefield. But the reality could be something else, because some of their key players have been struggling with their form for a long time.
Rohit Sharma remains one of the main topics of discussion related to the league or the team. The former team captain was not at his best in the last IPL 2025 campaign. This season too, the performance of the opener will be monitored throughout the season. Along with Sharma, 2 other stars can also trouble the franchise during the IPL 2026 competition.
3 players who are the biggest burden for MI in IPL 2026:
Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma could be a problematic figure for the team if he fails to step up immediately. Be it for Team India or Mumbai Indians, the former captain’s inconsistent form often became a cause for criticism. There is no doubt about his credibility as a T20 opening batsman; Uncertainty remains due to its continuity.
During the initial phase of IPL 2025, the Mumbaikar got out cheaply in consecutive matches. In 15 matches for Mumbai Indians in 2025, he finished his batting figures with an average of 29.85, which was not fair for a batsman of his stature. Fans would definitely like to see the ‘Hitmen’ at their peak so that the team goes ahead strongly to claim their sixth IPL title.
Suryakumar Yadav
The T20I captain of the Indian cricket team himself can put the team in a difficult position during the title race in IPL 2026. Batsman’s inconsistency has been a major talking point among fans since late 2025.
Yadav was exceptional for Mumbai Indians last season, scoring 717 runs in 16 matches with a strike rate of 167.92, but this dropped drastically when he moved to play for the national cricket team.
In the T20 World Cup 2026, the middle-order batsmen were mostly out-of-colour. In 9 matches of the tournament, Yadav recorded only one half-century, which was against the United States. If his form remains inconsistent, the 5-time IPL champion may have to think differently.
hardik pandya
Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya’s performance will also be scrutinized if he fails to lead the team to glory again. The fast bowling all-rounder will have to maintain consistent form with both bat and ball to maintain the balance of the playing combination.
With limited batting opportunities in the 2026 T20 World Cup, the middle-order batsman scored a few half-centuries and 30 runs for India, which is good considering his batting position. He took 9 wickets with the ball in 9 matches.
In the last IPL season, he was clearly not at his best as his batting average after 15 matches was 24.89, and he took 14 wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of 9.77.
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