If you’re Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma or Suryakumar Yadav, you’d probably wonder how things unraveled so dramatically in a matter of weeks. On March 8, all four were hailed as heroes as India won their third T20 World Cup title – the faces of a victorious campaign carrying the weight of a nation with ease.
CSK vs MI: MAIN | SCORECARD
Fast forward to May 2ndand the mood suddenly changed. The same names are now being scrutinized as some of the biggest underperformers of IPL 2026. Long regarded as the T20 champion, Bumrah has just three wickets from nine matches at an average of 94.67 – figures that seem almost surreal for a bowler of his calibre.
Tilak has 193 runs this season, including a hundred, but the southpaw has struggled to leave a consistent mark. Suryakumar’s poor run continued at Chepauk, where he looked composed before falling for 21 – another start that faded. The former world number one T20I batsman now has 183 runs from nine matches.
Hardik, meanwhile, cut a dejected figure after the match and admitted that the season just didn’t go their way. His returns – 183 runs and four wickets from eight matches – reflect a campaign that has lacked rhythm and control.
So has the high of the T20 World Cup turned into a lingering hangover? Has the toll of back-to-back cricket finally caught up with MI’s Indian core?
Well, Mumbai coach Mahela Jayawardene is not ready to go there yet. Despite increasing pressure, MI still retain a mathematical chance of qualifying – and for him, it keeps the fight alive and the belief in the glorious Indian core still intact.
“I think it’s too early to say anything. I think we have 5 more games. I mean, anything can happen to us.”
“We just need to finish the tournament on a positive note and see what happens. I mean a lot more cricket will be played. Um, I don’t think mathematically we are out of the tournament, so me, I’m going to fight and I’m sure the other guys will do the same,” Jayawardene said at MI’s post-match press conference after CSK vs.
WHAT’S UP WITH BUMRAH ETC.?
So what exactly is going on with India’s much vaunted MI core? The question arises with each subsequent match.
Jayawardene quickly shifted focus away from individuals, starting with Bumrah. Matches with the ball are not unique to him – they are indicative of a larger collective decline.
“It’s not just the Booms; it’s the collective effort of all the bowlers. When everyone works together and you pick up wickets here and there, it helps Bumrah to be a bit more aggressive than doing tribute work. Everyone tends to have a slow season but the class is always consistent,” Jayawardene said.
Tilak Varma’s case, meanwhile, is one of transition and growth rather than failure. The flashes are there, but consistency remains elusive — something the coach attributes to his evolving role.
“Tilak Varma is also still learning and playing different roles that he has been asked to play. T20 cricket is not that easy, I think the more he plays different situations, he will understand what he needs to do… handling situations, being a bit more proactive in thinking about what we need to do in those situations is something he will find,” Jayawardene said.
As far as Suryakumar is concerned, the story feels more about fine edges than form. The intent is there, the flow is visible – but the results haven’t followed.
“I don’t think his performance is going down; if he puts a couple of scores together I think he’ll find that rhythm. He bowled really well for the time today, he really took on the bowlers at that stage. I think a couple more overs he could have made a really good score. Sometimes when things don’t go your way, he doesn’t fit.”
“I think it was a pretty good shot that went straight to the fielder. He’s got it for sure, I think he’s in a good space, it just didn’t work like so many times he’s been caught on the boundary with some of those shots this season. It’s only a matter of time but I think he’s disappointed himself but he’s got to keep working harder,” Jayawardene said.
On paper, MI’s Indian core still reads like a dream – proven match-winners, international stars and players who have made their mark on the biggest stages.
But cricket, as always, refuses to follow a script.
The five-time champions are still learning the hard way. Echoes of World Cup glory still linger, but in IPL 2026 they are drowned out by inconsistency, pressure and a campaign that is fading away – one game at a time.
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Published on:
03 May 2026 08:42 IST
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