Things are only getting worse for Mumbai Indians in the ongoing IPL 2026, and the focus is now heavily on their bowling attack. After a series of poor performances, MI is struggling mightily near the bottom of the points table, with its players facing heavy criticism for their poor performances.
Their inability to control runs is what hurts Mumbai the most this season. The Mumbai Indians bowling attack has been losing big numbers, and even when the batsmen get a good score, the bowlers fail to defend it, and the story is the same in the last five matches.
Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur and Mayank Markande likely to be released by Mumbai Indians after IPL 2026
Among the bowlers, Shardul Thakur has managed to take wickets at crucial times but his high economy rate has become a major concern. Similarly, Deepak Chahar did not live up to the expectations. Another name under the scanner is Mayank Markande.
There have been notions that the five-time champions might release these players (Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Mayank Markande) after the conclusion of the ongoing season to bolster their attack in the IPL 2027 mega auction later this year.
Also Read: GT vs KKR Prediction Dream11 Match Today, Dream11 Team Today, Fantasy Cricket Tips, Playing XI, Pitch Report, Injury Update: IPL 2026 Match 25
Shardul Thakur
Shardul Thakur has joined Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2026 in an all-cash deal with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). MI picked him up for ₹2 crore to strengthen their fast bowling attack, and he even got off to a good start by taking 3/39 on debut against KKR and winning the Man of the Match.
But after that, his nightmare began when Shardul had been giving away too many runs. His economy rate is very high at 13.45 this season and he has already conceded around 148 runs in just 11 overs. He has taken 6 wickets in the ongoing IPL 2026 so far.
The pacer is struggling with consistency, and the story was the same in the last season, where his economy rate was above 11. Due to his age, as he will be over 35 next season, and his expensive bowling, MI might think of releasing him before the IPL 2027 mega auction.
The five-time IPL champions are likely to focus on younger, more consistent and long-term options for the future.
Deepak Chahar
Deepak Chahar was signed by Mumbai Indians for a whopping Rs 9.25 crore for IPL 2026, mainly for his swing in the powerplay. They expected him to make early strides, but this season turned out to be very disappointing for both him and the franchise.
Chahar has not been able to take early wickets and has been losing important runs. His economy rate on the power play is the big concern for MI. He has given more than 20 runs in his opener, including 21 against Punjab Kings and 22 against Rajasthan Royals.
The biggest problem is Chahar not getting wickets despite being a powerplay specialist, but his failure has put extra pressure on the rest of the bowling attack, especially Jasprit Bumrah.
Mumbai Indians could release Chahar ahead of the 2027 mega auction due to his high price tag, injury history and limited role as a power bowler to target more reliable bowlers for long-term plans.
Markande Mayank
Mayank Markande returned to Mumbai Indians from Kolkata Knight Riders via a ₹30 lakh trade deal to strengthen their spin attack. MI trusted Markande because he knows the Wankhede pitch well and was expected to control the runs in the middle overs.
But the young spinner has struggled mightily this season, giving away runs at an economy of over 15. In his first three matches, he failed to take a single wicket. He has been heavily attacked by the batsmen and could not bowl with proper length.
With other spinners like Mitchell Santner and Allah Ghazanfar in the team, MI may look for better spinner options in the future given their poor performance in the ongoing IPL 2026.
Also Read: SA-W vs IN-W Dream11 Prediction Today, Dream11 Team Today, Fantasy Cricket Tips, Playing XI, Pitch Report, Injury Update: India Women’s Tour of South Africa 2026, First T20I