Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard has defended ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah after he came under criticism following his poor performance in IPL 2026.
Pollard spoke to the media after MI’s match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 29, where the five-time champions failed to defend 243 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Bumrah was far from his best as he struggled with his line and length and conceded 54 runs without taking any wicket in four overs.
Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen and even newbie Salil Arora all treated Bumrah without any respect and sent him across the boundary line one after the other.
Jasprit Bumrah’s struggle in IPL 2026
Generally considered the best bowler in the world, Jasprit Bumrah has been nothing but the best in IPL 2026. With just 2 wickets in 8 matches, he has been a shadow of his former form.
Given the way the game is being played today, with an economy rate of 8.8 runs per over, his bowling average of 132 is shocking. After all, this was the same bowler who was named player of the match in the T20 World Cup final last month.
The lack of wickets is also shocking considering the fact that Bumrah has taken at least 15 wickets in every IPL season since 2016 – even in 2022, where he took just 5 wickets in his first 10 matches.
“He’s allowed to have one bad day, and he’s allowed to have one bad season” – Kieron Pollard
After the match against SRH, Pollard defended Bumrah and talked about how even the best players can get an off day.
Pollard said, “Again, when a cricketer is not performing well, we look at every single aspect as to why he is not performing well. And there is no difference with Jasprit Bumrah, right? He has done that over the years.”
“As a human being, he has a right to make mistakes, not have a good day, not have a good season, not have a good few months. And I just think we need to remember sometimes the good things he’s done.”
Pollard urged the fans and media to give Jasprit Bumrah some leeway in relation to his tough phase.
“Yes, we try to live in the present, and he has not been able to reach that level. But he has still been the number one bowler for Mumbai Indians and India for some time now. So I think sometimes we can give some leniency to cricketers because, as I always say, we are unfortunate that we are always in the public eye.”
Pollard also said that it will help him only if a section of the media writes good things about Jasprit Bumrah. He pointed to the gap in opportunities for non-players to correct their mistakes.
“When normal people have jobs, and they send the wrong email, they have the opportunity to edit the words and all these things. We don’t have that opportunity. So it’s fair and okay – when you’re not doing well, you accept certain things. And knowing the guy, I know he’ll bounce back to greater heights and take wickets. And we’re going to sing “Bumrah, Bumrah” again, not just for Mumbai Indians but For India. Then, let’s cut him some slack, and let’s see if that might help him too – if we see some good things written about him.”
Mumbai Indians current status and next match
After the loss to SRH, Mumbai Indians have dropped to ninth place in the points table with just 2 wins from 8 matches. Another defeat would essentially doom their chances of making the playoffs.
MI’s next match is against arch-rivals and fellow five-time IPL winners Chennai Super Kings. MI have already lost to CSK once this season, and Jasprit Bumrah, among other players, will also be raring to go.
Also read: Mumbai Indians qualification scenario after loss to SRH in IPL 2026