Mumbai Indians owner Akash Ambani walked out of the Wankhede Stadium amid MI’s heavy defeat against Chennai Super Kings, a moment that captured the growing unrest in the camp during IPL 2026.
Mumbai Indians are in danger. After losing to ČSK at hometheir chances of making the playoffs took a major hit. With five defeats and only two wins, MI are walking on the eighth spot in the points table. If they fail to string together a consistent winning streak, their wait for a sixth IPL title looks set to continue.
Absolutely nothing is going well for Mumbai Indians right now. Just look at Akash Ambani who left in the middle of the game and walked right in front of the dugout without even looking at the players. He literally asked the fans to leave the stadium as well. Unity is lacking pic.twitter.com/8nplMjRYLN— OldMonkOfCricket (@OldMonkOfCricket) April 24, 2026
The season was marked by inconsistency. The big names did not perform collectively and although there were isolated performances, MI struggled to function as a cohesive unit. The pattern has been familiar in the last few seasons, especially after the change of leadership from Rohit Sharma to Hardik Pandya. As results continue to falter, the scrutiny surrounding Pandya’s captaincy has only intensified.
MI vs CSK: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Thursday’s defeat summed up their campaign. Chasing 208, a competitive total on the Wankhede surface, MI collapsed for 104 and suffered the loss of 103 runs, their biggest defeat in terms of runs. Even before the match ended, Akash Ambani left the dugout and was seen gesturing towards a section of the crowd, seemingly asking the fans to leave. The visuals quickly went viral, sparking discussion about MI’s downward spiral and visible frustration within the franchise.
However, head coach Mahela Jayawardene dismissed signs of fatigue among players returning from international commitments, pointing instead to a lack of rhythm and consistency.
“In modern cricket, everyone is a professional. A lot of guys who played the World Cup came back to play the IPL after the break,” Jayawardene said after the match.
“I don’t think the players have put it down either. It’s about getting the rhythm, getting that consistency. Overall consistency is something we lack. Yes, the bowling needs improvement, but the batting hasn’t been consistent either.”
The numbers underscore MI’s struggles. Hardik Pandya scored 97 runs and took three wickets in six matches while Suryakumar Yadav managed 156 runs in seven games. Jasprit Bumrah picked up just two wickets and Tilak Varma’s 181 runs was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise underwhelming campaign.
“We just need to find that space where we can compete. If we play our best cricket, we have a big chance. But the confidence, focus and discipline have to be there for the next seven games,” Jayawardene added.
Time is running out for Mumbai Indians. On a night when their campaign hit another low, the image of their owner walking out mid-game summed up the mood around the team.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
24 Apr 2026 13:08 IST
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