It's been a season to forget for the Mumbai Indians. After crashing out of IPL 2026 following a heartbreaking last-over loss to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the five-time champions are staring at a sixth straight season without a trophy—their longest drought ever. For a franchise that lifted back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020, missing the playoffs for the fourth time since 2022 is a steep and painful fall from grace.

The writing has been on the wall for a while. Despite glimpses of brilliance—Ryan Rickelton's explosive starts, Rohit Sharma's early fireworks, Tilak Varma's two standout knocks, and Corbin Bosch with the ball—consistency has been the team's Achilles' heel. Captain Hardik Pandya has looked out of sorts with both bat and ball, often appearing mentally absent in the middle. With the season effectively over, MI need to use their remaining games against Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Rajasthan Royals to test new combinations and build for the future.

The most glaring issue? The form of senior batters. Suryakumar Yadav, once the heartbeat of MI's middle order, has managed just 195 runs in 11 innings. It's time to give a younger player a shot and let SKY rediscover his rhythm away from the pressure. Meanwhile, Tilak Varma's numbers tell a similar story: 261 runs in 11 matches, but 158 of those came in just two innings. That's a lot of quiet nights for a player expected to anchor the lineup.

And then there's Jasprit Bumrah. The ace pacer has bowled his heart out, but with little support from the other end, his wicket tally doesn't reflect his impact. With nothing left to play for in the tournament, MI should do the smart thing: rest Bumrah for the final three inconsequential games. Protect your biggest asset—there's always next season.