Every three out of five games in the last three IPL seasons have been decided in the powerplay. In a season where the aggregate scoring rate has crossed 10 for the first time, currently at 10.47 in the powerplay, nearly a run higher than last year’s 9.59, Mumbai Indians have found themselves reeling in the battle with the new ball.
On Sunday, on a batting-friendly Wankhede surface, defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru dominated conditions, with Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar and Tim David striking at over 200 as the visitors posted a formidable 240 for 4.
In such chases, a strong start is everything. Mumbai scored at over 10 runs per over, reaching 62/0 at the end of the powerplay. Yet, it still wasn’t enough, especially after Rohit Sharma retired hurt after facing just 13 balls. They remained behind the asking rate, which climbed to 13, and their powerplay total was still nine fewer than RCB’s 71/0 at the same stage.
The contrast was even starker against the Rajasthan Royals last Tuesday in Guwahati. The opposition raced to 89/2 in the first six overs, while Mumbai were left reeling at 65/5.
Concern extends to bowling as well
Across four innings this season, Mumbai’s bowlers have picked up just five wickets in the powerplay at an economy rate of 11.67, placing them seventh among the 10 teams. Having conceded a boundary every 3.2 balls, they have the second-worst record in the phase.
A deeper look shows that Mumbai have used seven different bowling options in the powerplay across four matches. Jasprit Bumrah has been the most-used option, delivering six overs at an economy of 8.3, the best in the side, despite being wicketless. That, however, hasn’t been the issue.
The lack of support has hurt Mumbai. Trent Boult, a renowned new-ball specialist, is yet to pick up a wicket this season, conceding 56 runs in four overs. Shardul Thakur, the only bowler with two powerplay wickets for Mumbai, has leaked runs at nearly 15 per over. Deepak Chahar has fared relatively better, with an economy of 9.67 and one wicket in two matches.
What can Mumbai do?
With Mumbai languishing in the bottom half of the table, captain Hardik Pandya and the management need quick fixes to revive their campaign before it slips away.
On the batting front, Mumbai could consider promoting Naman Dhir to No. 3 to strengthen their powerplay approach, especially in case of early wickets. He boasts a strike rate of 159 against the new ball in T20s since 2025.
With the ball, Mumbai may need to maximise the impact of the Boult-Bumrah combination by using them in tandem upfront. Holding them back for later phases in the powerplay has only diluted their effectiveness.
